


Dollhouse

by demiwitch_of_mischief, slytherinjennie



Series: Cry Baby (My American Horror Story Series) [1]
Category: American Horror Story, American Horror Story: Murder House
Genre: A little bit of angst, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Bisexual Tate Langdon, Blood and Gore, Brother-Sister Relationships, Canonical Character Death, Chad Deserves Better, Dollhouse by Melanie Martinez is the Harmon's theme song tho, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Gay Sex, Gen, Ghosts, Graphic suicide scenes, How Do I Tag, I Will Go Down With This Ship, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Suicide, It's the Murder House, Lesbian Violet, M/M, Minor Character Death, Mother-Son Relationship, No Incest, Not between Tate/Teddy, OMC is Gay af, OMC might be totally okay with Tate killing people..., Oops?, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Plot with a bit of smut, References to Drugs, Romance, Seriously? How do I?, Slash, Suicide Attempt, Tags Contain Spoilers, Tate still got Vivien pregnant sorry, This is pretty gay so if you don't like that than don't read the story!, Vivien deserved better, angst with a somewhat happy ending, do not copy to another site, i might change the title later, what did you expect?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-01
Updated: 2019-09-21
Packaged: 2020-05-19 05:35:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 40
Words: 87,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19350544
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/demiwitch_of_mischief/pseuds/demiwitch_of_mischief, https://archiveofourown.org/users/slytherinjennie/pseuds/slytherinjennie
Summary: Teddy Harmon and his family move to LA hoping for a fresh new start and to hopefully get away from the past and, unknown to them, they move into a house dubbed the Murder House and which is currently being haunted by the ghosts who had died tragically in there.Teddy meets Tate Langdon a mysterious boy who seems to be interested in him, but is holding a secret form him that could destroy the his and his family's life.As the two grow closer, both emotionally and physically, Teddy begins to uncover all of the secrets of his new home and about his new friend, whose slowly becoming more to him, one that threatens his family's safety and his own.~~~(I changed the summary!)





	1. Pilot (part one)

Teddy stood next to his sister outside of what would possibly be his new home. Staring at the house in disinterest, he played with the hem of his black _ACDC_ shirt-that was a size to small. He couldn’t believe his _father_ , Ben, seriously thought that moving all the way to LA would somehow magically make everything okay.

 

Teddy would never forgive his father for what he did to his mother.

 

A couple of months ago Teddy’s mother, Vivien, had miscarried her unborn son. It had left her a shell of who she once was. Teddy didn’t know how it felt to lose a child but just from watching his mother have an emotional and mental breakdown from it, he knew he’d never want to experience it.

 

The event changed everyone, especially Violet. His sister became less happy-not that she was really happy a lot before-and started to become fascinated by death and anything related to it; horror movies, books on death, ect. Anything gory or tragic his sister loved it. It had surprisingly brought the two closer than they ever were before.

 

Not even a few months after that, his father-no, _Ben_ -had started an affair behind his grieving wife’s back with some slutty college student. It was even worse when his mother had come home from the doctor’s after a check up and _walked in_ on Ben fucking his little whore in their bed.

 

Just thinking about it pissed Teddy off more than anything ever had; even when that dumb jock, Riley, had said some choice worlds about his little sister in front of him. Teddy took care of that fucker with some of his own choice words and an bow and arrow being threatened to be shot at a certain anatomy of the dumb jock (he didn’t hurt the idiot, just threatened to shoot him with it). No one got around with spewing bullshit about his _little_ _sister_ , least of all when they'd threatened to harm her. It worked. He'd even gotten away with it too, his family none the wiser, and the jock had stayed far away from Teddy and Violet after that.

 

“I love it.” Ben said, ringing the doorbell to the house. “Don’t you love it, hon? I mean, it looks even better than it did online.”

 

“Yeah, it’s...it’s interesting.” Vivien agreed, looking around.

 

Teddy rolled his eyes but could at least agree it was nicer than the photos had shown it to be; the paint was new and it wasn't being overrun with vines and plants growing on the side of the house; the windows were brand new and didn't have a hole through them, thankfully. The lawn wasn't an ugly brown anymore, it was now a vibrant green and their was even some new rose bushes planted in the front yard to probably make it look more nice.

 

“Great,” Violet scoffed next to him,”So we’re _The Addams Family_ now.” Teddy snorted in amusement at the thought of their family dressed as the _Addams Family_. Would that make him Pugsley or Wednesday? He giggled at the thought of seeing Violet dressed in all black with twin braids and a scowl. It wasn't different from her current style right now. Violet shot him a bemused look as if reading his mind, which only made him giggle more.

 

“Hey! Crabby pants!” The siblings looked toward up at their father wondering which one of them he was talking to, “Come here you two!” Rolling his eyes Teddy followed behind Violet as they both walked toward them.

 

“What are you doing?” His mother asked clutching the dog to her chest as if it was the only thing keeping her grounded; for all Teddy knew it could be true.

 

His mother had gotten Hallie from a shelter were Teddy had worked for during the summer. Vivien had stopped by to see Teddy and to go out for lunch with her son, and the moment Vivien had seen the small furry thing her heart had been instantly snatched by the mutt.

 

“Isn’t this place amazing?” Ben asked, excited and wrapped his arms over Vivien and Violet’s shoulders.

 

“Yeah, totally amazing.” Teddy said, sarcastically. Ben frowned at him and opened him mouth to probably lecture him about his attitude, when the door opened and he quickly smiled at the woman standing there. 

 

“Welcome.” She greeted them with a smile.

 

* * *

 

 

“It’s a classic LA Victorian, built around 1920 by the doctor to all the stars at the time.” The realtor, Marcy, rambled as she lead them down the hall. “ It’s just fabulous. These are real _Tiffany_ fixtures. As you can see, the previous owners really loved this place like a child. They restored everything.”

 

“Gay?” Vivien asked curiously, glancing at her son.

 

“What do you think?” Marcy said with a grin that Teddy didn’t like.

 

 _God she’s so annoying_. Teddy thought.

 

“ _Tiffany_ ,” Ben said, bumping shoulders with Violet, “Wow.”

 

They were lead to the kitchen by Marcy the realtor, “Do you cook?” She asked.

 

“Viv is a great cook.” Ben cut in, taking his hat off and looking around with a grin, “I got her cooking lessons a few years ago, and she ended up teaching the teacher a few things.” Teddy rolled his eyes at him in annoyance. His dad really is desperate to get the love of his wife back, isn’t he? Ben was even willing to pretend everything was okay (it really wasn’t) and they were one big happy family.

 

“Cooking lessons. _Romantic_.” Marcy replied, nonplussed by the sudden tension in the room.

 

Noticing that everyone was distracted, Teddy quickly made a run for it and out of the room. He wandered around the bottom floor for a few minutes taking notice of the fact everything had a new feel to it which he found weird, even more when he found wallpaper peeling in one of the rooms.

 

He grew bored of it quickly though and was about to make his way of the stairs when he heard barking. Curious he walked back down the steps and made his way over to Hallie who stood barking angrily at a door.

 

 _What’s wrong with this dog?_ He thought incredulously, picking her up. Hallie quieted in his arms but continued to growl lowly.

 

He looked between the dog and the door confused. Hearing Vivien ask were Hallie was, he quickly replied that he had her. Hallie had finally stopped barking and was now growling at the door. Frustrated, he gently put her down and she scampered away quickly and toward the door leading to the kitchen.

 

Now that the dog was gone he opened the door, which he found out lead to the basement. Curiously, Teddy walked down the steps and tried to find a light switch or anything to light his way so he wouldn’t trip and fall. The last thing he wanted was to break his neck and die in the dark basement which had a disgusting smell of something rotten.

 

Carefully stepping down the steps, Teddy almost tripped on the last step at the unexpected drop off to the floor. He looked around and wrinkled his nose at the foul odor that was, thankfully, starting to fade. The basement looked like you're ordinary basement you’d see in horror movies. Which Violet would probably enjoy, but Teddy didn’t. He’d always had a small fear of basements ever since he was a kid; the unknown of never knowing if somebody was in there with you or not, and the total darkness. As he got older it started to fade away but there was still a small part of Teddy that hated going into any basements, even if wasn't afraid anymore.

 

He almost jumped when he heard a crash somewhere in the room. Teddy took his phone out of his pocket and turned the light button on so he could shine it around him in the darkness. The only things down there-that he could see-was a table and an old bathtub in a corner along with a few boxes scattered about the floor.

 

Movement from the corner of his eye startled him and caused him to flash his light over there. When nothing happened, he blamed it on his imagination overacting in the dark and causing him to see things that weren't there.

 

Feeling a sudden breeze graze across his body he shivered, rubbing his bare arms as goosebumps started to form. He was only wearing a pair of tight jeans, his red converse and his ACDC shirt that he had since middle school; he’d outgrown it by then, but Teddy hadn’t wanted to let go of his favorite shirt, much to his parents' dismay.

 

His mother had offered to buy him the exact shirt just in a larger size, he’d declined only for her to buy him another one anyway; which he wore to sleep sometimes, not wanting to her feelings.

 

Giving the basement one more look around, Teddy turned and walked up the steps toward his family, unaware of the dark eyes in the shadows watching him leave with a smirk.

 

Walking into the living room, he arrived in time to catch the sight of his smirking sister, “We’ll take it.” Violet said, catching him off guard and surprising his parents.

 

“Wonderful! I’ll go and get the paperwork now.” Marcy said, a relieved smile on her face as she left the room, pausing to say over her shoulder, “Oh, and welcome to your new home, Harmon's!”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if it's short. I finally decided to just say 'fuck it' and post the first chapter. It will be following canon, but with my ow twist to it.  
> I've been working on this for a few years (since polyvore was still a thing) and I've had so many incarnations of Teddy Harmon, it's not even funny. Teddy has been one of my OC's who I've never really let go of and probably never will.  
> This will be part of a series with me going through every AHS season so far, with the same faceclaim but he'll have different names and personalities. And all of the stories will, hopefully, be connected in one way or another to each other.


	2. Pilot (part two)

The next day at school Teddy was tired and so _done_. Done with everyone's bullshit; done with all the teachers who made him stand in front of everyone and introduce himself, done with the students who stared at him like he was a new attraction at a theme park or he was a new exotic animal at the zoo. It didn't help that it was the middle of the school year and everyone had already formed their cliques. He was sick of everyone coming up to him and asking the same questions over and over; ' _Where did you move from?_ ', ' _Are you single?_ ', ' _Do you have a girlfriend?_ ', ect. After the 5th time he just ignored everyone and plugged his earphones in, blasting _Queens_ ' _Another One Bites the Dust_ '.

 

After the bell rang for lunch Teddy quickly packed everything up and moved to walk out of the room, when a girl with long bleach blonde hair, big tits, and a face caked in make up blocked his exit. Teddy internally groaned when he realized it was the girl who had asked him if he was single earlier, her name was Tiffany or Brittany or something. He didn't really care enough to remember.

 

''Are you free for lunch?" She asked, batting her false eyelashes at him.

 

''Nope." Teddy said bluntly, staring at her unperturbed.

 

"Oh," She blinked in surprise as if no one had ever said no to her, "Well I was hopping we could have some... _alone_ time. I'm free after school." She hinted, staring seductively at him and her lips pulled into a pout, which she probably thought was attractive.

 

Teddy personally thought she looked like a blobfish.

 

"Look, Jessica-" Teddy started to say, before wannabe _Trisha Paytas_  interrupted.

 

"My name is Amber, Amber Hunter." She said with a false smile, trying to seem unaffected that he got her name wrong, but failing. 

 

"Look- _Amber_ -I'm not interested." He said, trying to move past her.

 

She followed his movements and stood directly in front of the exit of the now empty classroom, she let out an annoyed huff but smiled gently as if she understood something he didn't. Teddy doubted it, he didn't think her pea sized brain could even think properly with those long extensions.  

 

"I get it." _No you really fucking don't_ , Teddy wanted to tell her. "I've been where you've been." Teddy blinked, confused, at her.

 

Amber smiled and laid a hand against his shoulder; her long red nails looked like they could cut a bitch. Teddy wanted to rip her hand off for even daring to come into his personal space. "I know what it's like to be afraid of your first time and I'm more than willing to help you. We can even go slow if you want." Her hand moved to rub his shoulders soothingly, as if calming down a scared animal. Realization dawned on him as he understood what _exactly_ she was getting at. He snorted, and Amber looked startled as he shrugged her hand off of him violently. 

 

"Unless you've got a surprise underneath that mini skirt, which I doubt, I suggest you move the fuck out of my way." Teddy replied, having enough and shoving her _politely_ away from the doorway and walked out of the room.

 

Teddy paused and turned around, watching as Amber smiled hopefully at him, "In case it you didn't get it the first time, I'm strictly into _dicks_ , preferably big ones. And even if I wasn't, I wouldn't want to stick my own in you, who knows what kind of diseases you have in there." He smiled cheekily at her and turned away from her to make his way to the lunch room, leaving an angry blonde behind him. 

 

* * *

 

 

Teddy walked outside and looked around for his sister. When he didn't see her, he didn't immediately freak out-she was probably late or got into trouble for smoking, _again_.

 

He heard screaming and turned towards it to see what the hell was going on and felt his blood boil at the sight.

 

A dark haired girl was holding Violet down and trying to force a cigarette stub into her mouth, while two other girls stood behind them screaming at them. Teddy flung his backpack to the ground and raced over to aid his sister. No one fucking touched his baby sister, let alone _hurt_ her. He grabbed the girl who was trying to force Violet to eat a cigarette and shoved her so hard on the ground he could hear something shatter. Judging by way she landed, it was probably her arm or her wrist.

 

He helped Violet stand up, "You okay, Vi?"

 

"I'm fine." Violet replied, rolling her eyes fondly at her older brother and his overprotective attitude. 

 

They both stared in rage and shock at the dark haired girl. She started to cry, big fat tears ran down her cheeks as she cried out in pain and wailed, "He broke my fucking arm!" So it _was_ the arm. The other two girls got down to help her up and threw him a dirty look. A crowd had started to form around them to watch what would happen next.

 

Teddy took this as his cue to leave, and he did. He grabbed Violet by the hand and ran for it, making sure to grab his backpack on the way out. 

  

* * *

 

After the day he had, Teddy just wanted to relax to _Lana Del Rey's_ soothing voice and smoke a joint to calm his nerves. He had a headache from looking at a textbook for the better half of an hour and he was tired, not getting much sleep the previous night. Teddy couldn't sleep and spent most of the night tossing and turning in his bed, and when he'd manged to finally get comfortable and was about to go to sleep, the sun was starting to rise and it was time to get ready for his first day at a new school. He was about to light a joint when he heard something that made him freeze.

 

Teddy's blood ran cold when he heard his mother's scream and immediately jumped off his bed and bolted out of his bedroom. He ran past his sister who had opened her bedroom door and she quickly followed after him, as worried about their mother as he was. As he reached the bottom of the attic latter he caught sight of his father and followed after him up the steps. He reached the top of the steps to see his mother standing in front of some old newspapers.

 

"What happened? Mom, are you okay?" Teddy asked, looking worriedly at his mother.

 

He breathed out a sigh of relief when she nodded, an amused smile on her face. Bewildered as to what she was smiling at, Teddy followed her finger and let out a laugh when he saw what exactly she was pointing at. 

 

Hanging in front of them was a rubber suit; it was black and covered the whole body, except for two small eye holes and two tiny breathing holes that were used for breathing. 

 

"Guess those guys were into that kinky stuff." Ben said, an amused grin on his face as he wrapped his arms around Vivien, "Should I try it on?"

 

Teddy made a disgusted face at that thought; even the idea of his father wearing the suit and having sex with his mother made him cringe and want to vomit.

 

"Stop it. It's not funny." Vivien said, laughing with Ben.

 

 "What happened?" Violet asked, coming up the ladder only to grin at the sight of the rubber suit, "Holy shit."

 

His mother stopped laughing when she heard Violet and turned away from Ben and toward her daughter, starting to lead Violet out of the attic much to her chagrin. Teddy didn't blame her, and followed after his mother and sister. He paused behind them when his mother turned back towards his father, Ben, to say firmly, "Get it out of here."

 

* * *

 

 

Teddy carefully cut the pain pills with a razor into neat, straight lines. He stared blankly at the white powder for a moment before leaning down and snorting the coke. The affect was instant, he could feel the numbness takeover him. His anxiety melted away and the overwhelming pain in his head was gone in an instant. Teddy paused, and stared a the razor in his hand, a thought crossing his mind. 

 

He'd always wondered why Violet cut herself and seemed to like it-or at the very least it seemed to help her in a way that alcohol and various substances helped him. Curious, Teddy carefully lowered the cool blade on his warm skin, the smooth milky white skin taunting him. He could see the blood now, dripping off of his wrist and on the white tiled floor of the bathroom.

 

Teddy could feel it, the phantom of the blade cutting into his wrist and, if he cut hard enough, he knew he'd hit an artery and bleed out on the floor of the bathroom. Teddy frowned at the image he had created and quickly pushed the dark thoughts out of head. Just as he was about to put the razor down, a voice spoke up behind him. 

 

"You're doing it wrong." Teddy jumped startled at the smooth voice of a male and hissed as he accidentally cut himself with the razor in his hand. He clutched at his wrist and turned around to see a tall, dirty blonde haired boy stood in the doorway of the bathroom, watching him with brown eyes that darkened at the sight of the blood starting to drip from Teddy's now bleeding wrist. 

 

"What the fuck, man?!" Teddy hissed, staring at the blonde, "Who the hell are you and why are you in my house?!"

 

"If you're trying to kill yourself, cut vertically." The blonde continued, as if Teddy had never said anything, "They can't stitch that up."

 

"I'm _not_ trying to kill myself." Teddy protested, before realizing the blonde had walked in on him holding a razor to his wrist as if about to cut himself. If Teddy saw the blonde in his position, he'd probably think the same thing too. Biting his lip, Teddy grabbed a towel off the shelf in the bathroom and placed it on the cut to stop the bleeding, "I'm not, really. It was an accident."

 

"Isn't that what we all say when we get caught?" The blonde asked with a laugh, as if Teddy had just told the funniest fucking joke ever.

 

"If I wanted to kill myself, I'd have done it already." Teddy said, getting pissed at the blonde and his nonplussed attitude. Teddy blamed the bleeding cut on the blonde for startling him, even if he shouldn't have had the damn razor anywhere near him in the first place. "Who are you anyway? And how the _fuck_ did you get in here?"

 

The blonde's pretty brown eyes seemed to soften for a moment in understanding when he spoke the first time, before it faded away at Teddy's last sentence.

 

He smirked at him and grabbed the doorknob, "If you’re trying to kill yourself you might also try locking the door." 

 

Teddy relaxed when the boy left, but not before the boy gave him one last meaningful look before leaving and closing the door behind him.

 

Lifting the towel away from his wrist, he let out a relieved sigh to see the blood had stopped bleeding. Teddy examined the cut; it wasn't deep enough to cut anything major or important, but it might leave a scar. He frowned, before opening the cabinet door and grabbing the first aid kit.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NOTE: This has been edited and a huge portion of the chapter was deleted by me, but if you want to know what it was go read it on my AHS Oneshots chapter 12 I believe.
> 
> Teddy and Tate probably won't be having sex at least for a few more episodes-until at least the Halloween episode, so you'll have to wait if you're here for that, sorry! But if you want, like an idea of them together, read my 'Oneshots For My AHS Series'. Or I might change my mind, it depends on how it goes :P
> 
> If you have questions about or an idea for Teddy and Tate, let me know and I might add it to the story, no promises tho :D
> 
> Also anyone have any ship names for them?  
> Possible Choices:  
> Tedate  
> Tatey  
> Tateddy  
> Taddy
> 
> (The choices suck tbh, but I have no regrets for Teddy's name.)


	3. Pilot (part three)

After another exhausting day at school and avoiding Amber-who had decided to ignore his words from before and followed him everywhere now, like they were a couple or some shit-Teddy was relieved to finally be in the safety of his home. Violet had decided to go to a bookstore she had found online and went there instead of walking home with him. He was reluctant to leave her alone and go out by herself, but he understood wanting to be alone and she was a big girl now. Violet did't need him to always hover and protect her from the monsters of the world, she could protect herself. 

 

Closing the door behind him, Teddy walked into the hallway that led to the kitchen to get him something to snack on while he did his homework. After grabbing a few small bags of _Takis_ his mother had bought mostly for him-even though Violet ate them too sometimes-and a can of _Cherry Cola,_ he walked out of the kitchen and toward the direction of his room. As Teddy was about to turn the corner to the stairs, he passed his father office and paused when he heard a voice that _wasn't_ his fathers.

 

It was a voice he could put anywhere, a voice that had plagued his mind since he first heard it and had kept him up,  _again_ , last night, thinking about the voice and the owner of said voice. At that point Teddy had just given up on trying to get some well needed sleep in this house, and had just lit a cigarette he stole from Violet and put his headphones on, listening to his playlist on his spotify until he finally fell asleep to ' _Gasoline_ '.

 

He poked his head around the corner and he caught sight of the blonde boy from before, laying down on the black leather couch in his dad's office. Now that Teddy actually looked at the boy he could appreciate the blonde's appearance and wasn't let down.

 

The blonde was wearing a sweater with a button up underneath and khaki pants, black converse adorning his feet. His hair was as messy as before, but Teddy didn't mind, like, _at all_. He liked it and thought it made the blonde's angelic face look softer and younger. His eyes were a dark shade of brown, almost black, and they contrasted nicely with his blonde hair and pale skin. He was lean and muscular, but not too muscular to make him look like those guys in porno's that Teddy hadn't found that attractive at all, with their bulging muscles and shaved heads and angry sneers. 

 

 _So he is a patient of my father's_ , Teddy thought. He didn't get why the blonde hadn't just said he was, but it did explain why the blonde was even in their house in the first place. He leaned in as close as he could without his father or the blonde noticing him through the glass door to listen in to their conversation. He felt a stab of guilt for spying on them, but quickly shoved it down.

 

''When I was in medical school, they brought in this CIA interrogator to help us better identify who was lying. This guy was, like, six foot, 50, crew cut. He must have been one hell of an interrogator, because I'll tell you something. I'd be terrified to lie to him.'' Ben said, a grin on his face.

 

''You think I'm lying to you?'' The Blonde asked, looking affronted and sitting up quickly on the couch so he was facing Ben, and by default, Teddy.

 

''Light sensitivity isn't a side effect of Lexapro, Tate.'' Ben said looking at exasperated at the blonde, that Teddy now knew was named Tate. 

 

Tate stood up and moved into the rocking chair that was right next to the couch, sitting in it and starting to rock back and forth furiously. He looked at Ben with hurt and said accusingly, ''So you lied to me.''

 

''What is important... that is if you're telling the truth about doing these things to your classmates. If you were actually a danger to society, the law says that I have to report you to the police.'' Ben replied, staring at Tate unperturbed. 

 

Teddy was lost at the conversation and where is had gone and was going, but ignored his confusion and continued to listen, hanging onto every word they spoke.

 

''Did you call them?'' Tate asked looking at Ben with a look Teddy couldn't decipher, and he could have sworn he saw Tate look over and lock eyes with him for a brief moment.

 

Ben stood up and slowly made his way over to sit in front of Tate on the coffee table, not taking his eyes off of the blonde once, ''Not yet. I've treated psychotics before, and people with the right combination of chemical imbalance and psychological damage that can't be reached.''

 

Most of what his father had just said went completely over Teddy's head, he was an average B- and C+ student in Science and Biology classes and tended to tune out everything the teacher said.  He regretted it a little now, but he got the gist of what his father was saying to Tate. 

 

''You think that's me? You think I can't get better?'' Tate questioned, a heartbreaking look on his face that made Teddy's heart feel like it was being squeezed and made him want to go in there and comfort the boy.

 

''You?'' Ben scoffed, a grin on his face that made Teddy want to punch him, especially when the next sentence left his mouth. ''You kidding me? You're hopeless.''

 

They both paused which made Teddy confused, and he was even _more_ confused when the two began to laugh. Ben stopped laughing and turned towards Tate, ''Everybody can get better, Tate. Everybody. I just think you're scared. Of what, I'm not sure yet. '' The next few words Ben spoke made Tate's smile drop. ''Maybe rejection. Certainly because of what your father did to you.''

 

Teddy frowned at the harsh words and he felt upset that his dad said that to one of his patients, one that seemed so sad and looked more than willing to get help for whatever was wrong with him. Teddy felt like an intruder after hearing that and was about to leave when he heard Tate speak up. 

 

''I was afraid my big dick wouldn't work.'' Tate said, shocking both Ben and Teddy. 

 

His dad seemed at a lost for words, a frozen smile on his face, and only managed to utter out a startled, ''What?''.

 

This seemed to amuse Tate and he grinned at the look on the doctor's face and let out a laugh, ''Yeah, that's why I didn't take the meds.''

 

''Tate.'' Ben said, laughing.

 

''I was afraid my dick wouldn't work.'' Tate said. Teddy froze and his breath caught in his throat when his eyes locked with dark brown ones that held his, ''Because I met someone.''

 

* * *

 

 

Violet walked down a aisle in the bookstore, looking for anything that caught her eye. She was leaving the poetry section when she ran into someone; Violet opened her mouth to apologize but froze and quickly clamped it shut when she saw _who_ she had ran into. 

 

Leah seemed as surprised to see her as Violet was, looking wide eyed at her. She seemed to glance around them fearfully as if expecting someone to jump out at them. Violet didn't need her to ask why she was looking around, she _why_. Leah was probably looking to see if her brother was with her or in the store with her.

 

The brunette had left Violet alone after Teddy had broken Leah''s wrist and avoided the two like the plague. Violet found it funny at first that the girl did that, but it got so bad that Leah wouldn't even go into the same bathroom if Violet was in there, and her amusement faded and she felt guilty; even more so when the girl came to school the next day in a cast and bags under her eyes.

 

''My brother isn't here.'' Violet said, taking pity on her.

 

Leah seemed to almost immediately relax as if Violet had just told her that she found a cure for cancer. Almost.

 

''Are you following me?'' Leah asked.

 

Violet rolled her eyes and the pity she had felt for the other girl vanished, '' _No_. I'm here to look at the _books_ , not to stalk the girl who tried to beat me up.''

 

Leah winced, ''Look, I'm really sorry about what happened the other day. I was upset, my grandma died a few months ago of lung cancer, and I was so pissed to see you smoking like it was no big deal.''

 

Softening a bit at the vulnerable look Leah had, Violet sighed, ''I'm sorry, both for your grandma and for your wrist. Teddy didn't mean to hurt you''

 

 _Yes he did._ A voice whispered in her head.  _He would have done more than brake her wrist for hurting you._

 

''It's okay. I probably shouldn't have been a bitch about it, I could have been nicer.'' Leah smiled.

 

Violet couldn't help but think her smile looked pretty, and she smiled despite herself. Of course Leah was pretty, she was popular and beautiful with her dark brown hair and big blue eyes framed by her long black eyelashes. She didn't need much make up in Violet's opinion; she was a natural beauty, as her mother would have said if she seen her.

 

''Probably.'' She replied, watching as Leah clutched a book to her chest.

 

Leah nodded and seemed to realize something as she glanced behind Violet and at a clock hanging on the blue wall of the bookstore, ''Oh, shit.'' At Violet's startled look she continued, reluctantly, ''I have to get home soon, I have a doctor's appointment in half an hour.'' Leah raised her injured wrist with the cast on it awkwardly. 

 

''Oh.'' Violet replied, feeling upset for a reason she couldn't place.

 

 _Yes, you do._ The voice whispered again. 

 

 _Shut up!_ She thought.

 

Leah gave her another pretty smile and moved her arm enough that Violet could see the title of the book she was holding. 

 

''I love Milk and Honey.'' Violet blurted out, and felt her cheeks warm.

 

''Really?'' Leah asked, her smile getting bigger and her blue eyes sparkling a bit. ''I've never read it, but I heard it's _really_ good.''

 

''It _is_. My favorite part is-'' Violet cut herself off when one of Leah's eyebrows raised in a friendly warning to not spoil the book for her. Her cheeks felt even warmer and she was sure they were a bright red now, '' _Sorry_. It's a really good book. I recommend it''

 

Leah just laughed and shook her head in amusement, ''It's okay. And I was going to get it, but now I _definitely_  will.'' 

 

Did she just wink at Violet? Violet had no idea how she got here, talking to the girl who was trying to force her to eat a cigarette not that long ago, but she didn't regret it. 

 

Not wanting to Leah to leave and them go back to barely speaking to one another and the other girl avoiding her, she blurted out before she could stop herself. ''Do you wanna come over to my house?''

 

Leah blinked in surprise, but gave her a considering look before nodding, ''Yeah. But I can't today. I'm free tomorrow though.''

 

''That's fine.'' Violet said with a relieved smile, ''I'm free whenever, so it works for me.''

 

 

Violet grinned as she left the bookstore with a copy of ´ _Milk and Honey´_  by Rupi Kaur in her hands and Leah's number in her pocket. Her stomach got butterflies when she thought of Leah's smile and the way her eyes had lit up when Violet mentioned that she owned all of the _Nightmare on Elm Street_ movies.

 

She couldn't wait for tomorrow.

 

* * *

 

 

Teddy looked at the scars littering Tate's wrist as they sat on Teddy's bed, with  _Gasoline_ by Halsey playing softly in the background. Tate hadn't know who the hell she was, but had decided he liked her music a bit after listening to _Control_ and had fallen in love with the song and it's lyrics. That was the only song he seemed to really like so far from Teddy's playlist. 

 

''This one I did after my dad left.'' Tate paused in thought, ''I was ten, I think.''

 

''I got this a few days ago when _someone_ scared the shit out of me.'' Teddy said, a smile tugging on his lips, as he pulled the sleeve of his cardigan up to show the marred skin of his wrist. The cut was surprisingly big and it hurt a little when any pressure was put on it, but it was starting to heal.

 

Teddy had taken to wearing sweaters, cardigan's, jackets and anything with long sleeves to cover it. He now understood why Violet was always wearing long sleeves and layered her clothes; he was thankful his wardrobe mostly consisted of cardigans and sweaters. That, and band t-shirts.

 

''What were you doing in there than? With a razor?'' Tate asked, looking in Teddy's brown eyes. 

 

Swallowing at the intense look in Tate's own brown eyes he replied, ''I was doing some lines.'' At Tate's puzzled look he laughed, ''Coke, Tate. I was snorting Coke. I had a rough day, and needed something to take the edge off.''

 

''Westfield, right? The worst. I got thrown out of there.'' Tate said, getting off of the bed and walking around Teddy's room, looking around. 

 

''Yeah, I hate it there. Everyone's so fake and they only care about who has the richest parents.'' Teddy said, watching the blonde walk around his bedroom. Hugging his knees to his chest, he continued, ''East Coast was much cooler. I mean, at least we had weather there.''

 

Tate turned around and grinned, which Teddy thought was gorgeous and made his heart flutter, ''I love it when the leaves change.''

 

''Yeah. Me too.'' Teddy grinned back, his cheeks turning a faint shade of pink.

 

 

''Why were you holding the razor by your wrist than?'' Tate asked suddenly, remembering their earlier conversation.

 

Teddy was startled by the sudden change in conversation and took a few seconds to answer, ''I was curious to what it would feel like. If it would work.''

 

''Did it?'' Tate asked in a tone that threw Teddy off and made warning bells go off in his head, but he ignored them and edged on.

 

''No. It hurt like a bitch.'' He answered honestly. ''I think I'll stick to my preferred method, thank you.''

 

 

Watching him for a moment as if to see if he was lying, Tate shrugged and continued to look around at his things. As he lifted a picture frame off of Teddy's desk- it was one of Teddy, Violet, his mom and dad at a fair a few summers ago, before their family had been torn to shreds and left as a hollow of what they once were-he continued to ask more questions.

 

''Why did you move here?''

 

''My dad had an affair with one of his students.'' Teddy answered, watching as Tate put the picture frame down, ''My mom literally caught them doing it in my mom and dad's bed.''

 

''That's horrible. If you love someone, you should never hurt them... never.'' Tate said, turning around and looking at him sadly.

 

Teddy smiled at him but frowned when he remembered something, ''The worst part was that my mom had a brutal miscarriage a few months before.'' Teddy paused to watch Tate write _Taint_ on his chalkboard, ''The baby was seven months old, and we had to have this macabre funeral. Have you ever seen a baby coffin? It was horrible.''

 

Tate walked back over to Teddy's bed and sat down, grabbing the dark haired boys hands and started to rub them in a consoling gesture. Teddy shivered when he felt Tate's callused fingers move and start to rub soothing circles on his wrists; they were ice cold and made Teddy's skin feel even warmer in comparison.

 

Staring into his eyes remorsefully, Tate said, ''I'm sorry.''

 

Knowing that if the other boy continued to touch him and look at him with those dark eyes of his, Teddy would do something he'd regret later on, he moved away his from the blonde and stood up. He frowned when a thought crossed his mind, and knowing he would regret it later, he turned to Tate.

 

''Why are you seeing my dad, Tate?'' Teddy asked seriously.

 

''Don't ask questions you already know the answer to. You're smarter than that.'' Tate said darkly, staring back intensely, just as serious as him.

 

Feeling a bit guilty for asking a question that was such an obvious sore subject for Tate, he turned Halsey off. Teddy offered a truce he knew the boy would like, ''Want to listen to Kurt Cobain?'' That seemed to do the trick as the blonde smiled brightly and nodded his head excitedly. He reminded Teddy of a golden retriever his old next door neighbor, Mrs. Fairchild, had owned named Lucky.

 

As he was about to pick a song from his playlist with Nirvana in it, his father walked in with a angry look that scared Teddy a little.

 

''What are you doing in here?'' Ben demanded, staring directly at Tate.

 

Quickly trying to defuse the situation before it escalated, with a placating smile Teddy hurried to say, ''We were just listening to music, dad. I promise.''

 

''You need to leave, Tate.'' Ben warned, not taking his eyes off of Tate, ''I'm sorry. He shouldn't be in here, and I think you know that... please.''

 

Tate stood up from the bed and made his way over to stand in front Ben, staring at him the whole time. Teddy was worried his dad would do something to Tate for a minute but relaxed when the blonde turned to give him a brief smile.

 

Looking Been directly in the eyes he asked almost mockingly, ''What's that thing you think I'm afraid of? Fear of rejection?'' He brushed past Ben and left without another word or look in either Teddy's or his dad's direction. 

 

Watching Tate walk away hurt him for some reason that he couldn't really explain. It felt like a piece of him was missing without the blonde near him. He felt stupid and ridiculous, as he had only met Tate twice now and was already starting to get attached to the blonde. Teddy had never felt like this before, _ever_. Even when that boy with the really overprotective and religious mother, Luke Ramsey, had kissed him at a high school dance under the bleachers-that turned into a full on make out and groping session-but that was nothing to compare to whatever it was he felt for Tate.

 

''Stay away from him.'' His dad demanded.

 

''Dad, I swear, nothing happened! We were only-'' Teddy tried to say with an upset look on his face, but was cut off by his father.

 

''Stay away from him, Teddy! I mean it!'' Ben shouted, angrily. He softened a bit when he saw his son's eyes start to glisten, ''Please, Teddy. Promise me''

 

Teddy felt his eyes water a bit, but quickly blinked them away and glared at his dad. His dad was really starting to piss him the fuck off, he had _no right_ telling Teddy who he could and couldn't hang out with. 

 

''Fuck you.'' He hissed, ''Get the hell out of my room!''

 

His dad sighed and left without another word.

 

Teddy got up and quickly shut the door and locked it, his eyes starting to water. He walked over to his black bookshelf and looked for one of the books he had stashed his weed and pills in.

 

Finding one with just the pills in it, he grabbed two out of the clear little baggie and quickly swallowed them down with what was left of his cherry cola. Starting to feel sluggish, he walked over to his bed and couldn't stop the few tears that escaped and rolled down his cheeks as all of the emotions he had managed to keep at bay since the move, hit him all at once.

 

He was sick of this place and had hated moving here and leaving the few friends he had behind, and now that Teddy had  _finally_ made a friend, his father was trying to ban him from ever seeing Tate again.

 

The anxiety of moving to a new place where he didn't know anyone and having to deal with new people on a regular basis had made his stomach roll into knots, and add in the dysfunctional family, he was surprised he hadn't already had a breakdown by now.

 

 

Teddy continued to cry until he fell asleep, unaware of the dark eyes that watched him the whole time.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Teddy laughed hysterically as a fist connected with his nose, breaking it, as another guy knocked him on his ass and started to kick him. The guy who broke his nose was now straddling him and as Teddy opened his mouth to make a joke about their positions, he choked on the blood pouring out of his nose. 

 

Kids were chanting ''Fight! Fight! Fight!'' over and over around them.

 

Violet was screaming behind him and Leah was holding her back from entering the fight, both with terrified faces as he was getting the shit kicked out of him.

 

Everything fucking _hurt_ and he knew his ribs were going to be bruised for the next few weeks. His knuckles were bruised from where he had gotten in a few good swings in himself.

 

Teddy blamed this all on that dumb bitch, Amber, for what was happening.

 

He was minding his own damn business in the cafeteria, watching his sister make googly eyes at Leah-which was a surprising development, but not an awful one-and eating his fries when two jocks came out nowhere and yanked him off of his chair and started to accuse him of something that Teddy had been really listening to. They started to accuse him of trying to rape and touch a girl, which confused the hell out of Teddy...until he had caught sight of the dumb blonde queen herself, Amber Hunter, standing behind them with a fake terrified look and crocodile tears, and than he immediately knew what they were going on about.

 

He'd tried to say that, _no_ , he had _not_ tried to touch, let alone _rape_ , Amber when a fist had swung at him and cut him off.

 

Teddy wasn't going to lie.

 

He deserved the first punch-he had called Amber some not so nice words-but he did not the deserve the ones that came after. 

 

It wasn't exactly a fair fight, and they knew it. It was two huge muscled, meatheads, against one small boy. They tried to get him to admit to what he did not do, and wouldn't listen when he said he had nothing to do with it and no idea what the hell they were going on with. They continued to hit at him and hold him down. 

 

Leaning up he bit on one of the jocks ears hard enough to draw blood and he did, the jock crying out in pain and letting him go to clutch at his now bleeding ear. He took this as his chance to escape and kicked the other jock in the dick- _hard_ -and he immediately stopped throwing punches at him to start to clutching at his crotch, groaning in pain.

 

Teddy was quickly lifted up by two different sets of arms and pulled away from the other two jocks. He was about to start throwing punches himself, thinking that it was some of the jocks' friends, only to be relieved by his sisters pretty face staring back at him and she looked scared.

 

''What's wrong, Vi?'' Teddy slurred, looking concerned, ''Are you okay?''

 

''I'm fine, Teddy.'' Violet said, her eyes glistening with tears. ''I'm okay. But you're not.''

 

A voice spoke up next to his ear, ''We need to get him out of here, Violet.'' Teddy lifted his head and was surprised to see a concerned looking Leah. ''We need to leave before the two get up or the teachers come.''

 

Violet nodded quickly and helped Leah carry him out of the cafeteria. The two stopped long enough to grab their bags and Teddy's before leaving. 

 

Leah paused and glanced over at his sister, ''Where do you wanna take him? Should we take him to the hospital?''

 

Teddy started to shake his head furiously and tried to get out of their arms, but was held back by their surprisingly strong grips. ''No hospital!'' He repeated, giving up on trying to break free. The last thing he needed was a doctor taking a blood sample or something and finding the narcotics in his system. 

 

''Can you drive us to my house?'' Violet asked, looking at Leah questioningly. 

 

Leah nodded and led the two out to where her parked car was; helping Violet in the backseat so that Teddy's head was in her lap and she was running her fingers in his hair soothingly. It reminded Teddy of when he was a kid and would get nightmare's, his mom would come into his room and lay down beside him and run her fingers through his long dark hair until he fell asleep.

 

He almost fell asleep but was jerked awake by his sister who shook her head worriedly and said, ''Please don't go to sleep, you might have a concussion.''

 

Teddy tried to force himself to stay awake until they reached the house, but eventually gave in to the overwhelming darkness that welcomed him.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Teddy is fine, just a broken nose (that is easily fixed), bruised ribs and a swollen cheek. Nothing serious or life threatening. Next chapter has various point of views from different characters. So look forward to that. I cut Violet's fight scene because she and Leah had made up a few scenes before and it wouldn't make sense for the two to fight now. I was originally going to have Violet and Amber fight with Leah joining in to either help Violet fight or get her out of the fight but scraped that. Who knows maybe the two will fight in a future chapter...;P  
> Now there is only one more chapter left, thankfully, and we can finally move onto episode 2!


	4. Pilot (part four)

Teddy groaned when he was shook awake from a sleepless dream by Violet. His sister was leaning over him, her blonde hair blocking the sun from Teddy's eyes and acting as a shade. His head was resting comfortably in her lap.

 

Looking at her with blearily eyes, he asked, ''Are we finally home?''

 

Violet nodded with pursed lips, her warm brown eyes fixed on his face.

 

Teddy felt a little better after his short nap but his nose felt sore and his ribs ached in pain. The pain had faded a bit, and a few pills stashed his room should fix that right up.

 

''Can you stand up?'' Leah asked from behind Violet, her blue eyes looking at him wearily.

 

Either from fear of Teddy or for him, he didn't know. 

 

Stretching his muscles a little and feeling no immediate pain-besides his ribs protesting-he nodded and sat up, ''Yeah. I should be able to walk too.''

 

Violet looked ready to protest, but a firm look from him had her quieting down with a frown. 

 

''You should probably get some ice for his nose and ribs.'' Leah spoke, looking at Violet, ''Or anything cold to help the swelling.''

 

''You gonna be my doctor and nurse me back to health, sweetheart?'' Teddy asked, letting a teasing grin on his face. 

 

Leah rolled her eyes playfully at him.

 

''I think my mom has some ice packs in the fridge.'' Violet said, ignoring him.

 

Getting out of the car wasn't as hard as Teddy thought. The walk to the back of the house where the kitchen was easy, no missteps-except for when Teddy had tripped on a shovel and almost fallen-and they easily made it into the kitchen.

 

Only for all three of them to freeze at seeing Vivien standing in the kitchen, who turned when she heard the door open. 

 

* * *

 

Vivien was giving Hallie water when she heard the front door open and in walked her two kids and a teenage girl trailing behind them, keeping close to Violet. She was confused as to why they were home so early and was about to interrogate them, when she got a good look at her sons face.

 

Teddy's nose was swollen and covered in blood, his right eye turning an ugly blue/yellow color and his lip was slightly busted. His black hair was damp and his dark curls were sticking to his pale forehead.

 

''Come here.'' Vivien said, gesturing for her son to walk over to her so she could get a better look at his face. Lightly cupping his face, she gently touched his nose, and winced when Teddy hissed in pain at her prodding fingers.

 

''What happened to your face?'' Vivien demanded, feeling angry at the person who did this to her son.

 

''Fell down.'' Teddy said, looking away and not meeting her eyes. 

 

Vivien could tell he was lying and was about to ask again, when Violet spoke up.

 

''It was two boys,'' Violet spoke, ignoring the look Teddy gave her, ''They came out of nowhere and started beating him up, mom.''

 

Reaching into the freezer to grab some ice cubes, Vivien wrapped them up into a clean rag, ''Come sit down.'' She said, gesturing for them to sit down. 

 

''I hope they look worse then you.'' Vivien replied, not feeling guilty at the thought of the two boys being in pain. They hurt her baby.

 

 

Vivien always told her children to stick up for themselves no matter what, and not take _anybody's_ bullshit. Especially from bullies.

 

''They do, mom.'' Teddy promised, letting out a sigh of relief when the cold ice Vivien had gotten from the freezer touched his swollen nose.

 

''Why did they beat you up?'' Vivien questioned, glancing at Violet who not so subtly leaned toward the dark haired girl, whose name she didn't know. ''You know their names?''

 

''I don't know.'' Teddy replied, moving the cloth full of ice to his eye.

 

''Teddy.'' 

 

''Mom.''

 

'' _Teddy_.''

 

'' _Mom_.''

 

''Teddy.'' Vivien tried to sound annoyed at her son, but she couldn't help the small smile that slipped onto her face. 

 

''This girl lied and told them stuff about me that did  _not_ happen, and they got pissed and beat me up.'' Teddy said with a shrug, ''I don't know who they are, I've never seen them before today.''

 

''What girl?'' Vivien asked, feeling confused as to how a girl had anything to do with this, ''What does she have to do with this? Who is she?''

 

''I'm not narking.'' Teddy replied.

 

Letting out a sigh, Vivien looked worriedly at her son and then her daughter, ''You know, we can easily move you both to a different school. There are a lot of really good private schools right in this neighborhood.''

 

''No!'' Violet yelled, surprising both Vivien and Teddy. 

 

''I mean, if Teddy wants to change schools, he can. But, mom, I really don't want to.'' Violet gave her a pleading look, giving a brief glance over at the brunette sitting next to her who had been quiet the whole time. ''I really like my classes, and the library has decent books...and Leah's there.''

 

Vivien raised an eyebrow at her and was surprised to find that Violet meant it. The girl next to her, Leah, looked startled by all the eyes on her and her cheeks flushed. Leah gave Violet a look and-oh... _oh_.

 

Vivien understood now.

 

This was the girl Violet had talked about the other day, her brown eyes shining with excitement and something else that Vivien hadn't been able to place at the time. It was the first time Vivien had seen her daughter smiling and so happy in a long time. Now she understood why.

 

''That's okay, sweetheart. You don't have to.'' Vivien spoke, breaking the silence and reaching under the cupboard to grab a first aid kit to clean the blood off of Tedy's face, ''It's nice to meet you at last, Leah. Violet's talked about you a lot.'' 

 

''It's nice to meet you too, Mrs. Harmon.'' Leah said, giving her a shy smile. 

 

Smiling warmly back at her, ''Call me Vivien.'' She replied, gently rubbing some alcohol on Teddy's cuts.

 

''I'm not switching schools. I'm not running away and i'm not scared of them. I'm not afraid of _anything_.'' Teddy interrupted them, letting out a hiss of pain when Vivien touched his nose to gently wipe the blood off with a paper towel.

 

Vivien couldn't help but feel proud of her son for being strong and brave. For not being afraid of anything. Her children were fearless and looked danger on with a straight face and a smile. She loved and admired that about them. But it also worried her. Her children were so brave and fearless, they forgot they were _not_ invincible sometimes. Vivien was worried though, that one day it would get them hurt with more than a black eye or split lip.

 

''I know you're not afraid of anything.'' Vivien said.

 

* * *

 

 

 

Tate sat comfortably in a huge chair in Teddy's bedroom, watching in amusement as the dark haired boy paced his room angrily.

 

''I hate her! I just want to kill her!'' Teddy shouted, with a pissed off expression on his pretty face.

 

Tate always thought Teddy was pretty, with his lean body and delicate but sharp features, his pretty brown eyes and thick black lashes, and his naturally red lips.

 

''It's all her damn fault for this!'' Teddy gestured up at his bruised face. 

 

Tate amusement quickly faded and was replaced by rage. His blood boiled at the thought of the fuckers who hurt Teddy's beautiful face, and bruised his ribs. He wanted to _hurt_ them back like they Teddy, to _kill_ them in retaliation.

 

 

''Then do it! One less high school bitch making the lives of the less fortunate more tolerable is, in my opinion, a public service.'' Tate said and almost preened when he saw that he caught Teddy's attention, ''Look, you want her to leave you alone? Stop making your life a living hell?'' At the other boy's nod, he continued ''Short of killing her, there's only one solution. Scare her. Make her afraid of you. It's the only thing bullies react to.''

 

'' _How_?'' Teddy demanded, looking at Tate like he could solve all his problems. 

 

A plan formed in his head. Tate felt glee at the thought of scaring the bitch who thought she could get away with hurting _his_ Teddy.

 

Huh. That was new. _His_ Teddy? Tate kind of liked the sound of that. He saw the way the boy would look at him, like he wanted Tate to bend him over and fuck him. Tate knew the boy probably liked it hard and fast. Teddy was a virgin, which made a part of Tate happy that he'd be the first to take the boys virginity and be the first to touch him.

 

 _And the last one to ever touch him_. A dark voice whispered.

 

''What does she want more than anything?'' Tate questioned, shaking the thought away.

 

Teddy paused in thought before replying, ''Besides me? Coke. I see her snorting that shit when she thinks no ones looking.'' Teddy smirked at Tate, his brown eyes shining, ''I stole some from her purse once when she wasn't looking.''

 

''It's simple then. You simply walk up to her and say, 'Here's the deal: I need you to stop harassing me. I got what you want. Weed. Come to my house tomorrow for your free sample. I'm a dealer, and a good one. I got the best shit in town.'.'' Tate replied with a smirk, choosing not commenting on the last thing Teddy said.

 

''She's a cokehead though. I don't have any coke.'' Teddy said, stopped pacing with a frown, ''I mean I do have some, but I'm not giving her _mine_.''

 

''You won't need to give her any.'' Tate said with an eye roll, glad the boy hadn't turned and seen it, ''It's just an excuse to get her here.'' Tate frowned, watching Teddy's face screw up in pain when he moved a certain way and frowned harder when the boy clutched at his ribs, ''After that, she'll leave empty-handed and terrified. And I promise you, you'll never be bothered by her again.''

 

_I won't let her hurt you again. Ever._

 

''How am I going to terrify her?'' Teddy questioned, giving Tate an unreadable look.

 

_Helter-skelter!_

 

''That's where I come in.'' Tate replied with a smirk.

 

* * *

 

 

After convincing Amber to come over to his house for some drugs-not that it was really hard-the next day, he led her down to the basement where Tate had told him to wait.

 

The basement steps creaked as they walked down the stairs, Teddy's black doc martens making a soft thumping noise and Amber's heels clicking. The noise helped to calm his nerves and prepare him for whatever Tate had in mind for scaring Amber. 

 

He would be worried if he didn't trust the blonde boy, but he did trust Tate and he hoped the boy knew what he was doing.

 

''What's down there?'' Amber asked, trying to sound tough but failing as her voice raised in slight fear.

 

''My stash. Parents toss my room every week.'' Teddy said, mentally rolling eyes at her.

 

Not exactly a lie, but not the truth either. His parents used to check his room every week to make sure he didn't have any pills or weed to smoke. After his last three drug tests came back negative and two arguments later, his parents respected his boundaries and believed him when he said he didn't smoke or snort anymore. It was a lie. He just got better at hiding his stash and perfecting his 'sober' look.

 

''If you're screwing with me...'' Amber trailed off with a nonverbal threat.

 

''It's just the basement.'' Teddy didn't bother containing his eye roll that time, ''I found the best hiding place. This is great shit, too. All the coke coming to the U.S. from Central America smuggled in on lobster boats in Gloucester. I used to suck a few of the lobstermen dicks in return for a key or two before they cut it.'' 

 

Amber gave him a dry look before rolling her eyes, ''So where is it?''

 

''Right around the corner.'' Teddy said, walking behind her, ''To the right.''

 

''This place is a dump.'' Amber said, looking around the basement in disgust as she walked in the direction Teddy had given her.

 

Teddy actually agreed with her for once. He hated coming into the basement, but Tate liked to come down here for some reason and Teddy just followed along. 

 

''I want my goddamn drugs.'' Amber said, stumbling a bit in the dark.

 

''Then keep going.'' Teddy smirked and switched the lights on. 

 

When his eyes finally adjusted, he could clearly see Tate sitting in a rocking chair in the middle of the room. He was wearing a black t-shirt that said in white lettering 'Normal People Scare Me', Tate's head was tilted down a bit so he had to look at Teddy and Amber through his eye lashes. 

 

Teddy froze a bit when he saw the dark look in Tate's eyes, but quickly told himself that Tate wouldn't do anything rash or harmful to Amber, and it was all a prank.

 

''So this is the coke whore.'' Tate said, eyeing up Amber.

 

''Who the hell are you?'' Amber asked in an angry voice. Her blue eyes looked scared as she realized she was alone in a basement with a boy who she had gotten the crap beaten out of and a strange blonde boy who was eyeing her up like she was prey.

 

''Get the lights.'' Tate ordered.

 

Teddy complied and flicked the switch off, waiting for what Tate's prank was going to be. The blonde wouldn't tell him what it was and had told Teddy to just leave it all up to him.

 

Teddy frowns in confusion when the lights start to flicker and Tate starts to laugh crazily, rocking in his chair. 

 

"What the fuck is going on?! What the fuck is going on?!" Amber screamed, terrified.

 

Blinking at the bright lights flickering on and off, Teddy squinted in confusion when he saw something that did not look like Tate sitting in the rocking chair.

 

He swore he could hear a voice that sounded like Tate's repeat, "Kill her! Kill her! Kill her! Kill her!'' 

 

But Tate wouldn't do that, would he? This was just a prank. Tate wouldn't actually hurt Amber, right?

 

 _It's supposed to be just a prank_. Teddy thought, worriedly.

 

Suddenly Tate was behind Amber and threw himself on top of her. Amber let out a scream and fell to the floor with a him on her back, she started to struggle to get Tate off "Get off of me! Get off of me!''

 

Teddy just watched horrified as _something_ appeared and took Tate's place. He couldn't really tell what it was with the lights flickering so fast and making him see small dots, but he knew it was _not_ Tate. It was horrifying and It's _teeth_. They were sharp and pointy and scared the fuck out of Teddy. It's nails were long and just as pointy and sharp as It's teeth.

 

The thing started to slash at Amber and when Teddy saw blood, he knew this wasn't a prank anymore.

 

''Stop! Stop! Please, stop!'' Teddy screamed out, tears swelling in his eyes, ''Please, Tate, stop!''

 

He watched as the creature raised it's hand slowly approached Amber's face and she let out a terrified, "Mommy...?"

 

Teddy would have laughed, but given the situation, he didn't and just watched in terror as the thing started to slash at Amber's face and she let out a blood curdling scream.

 

Amber struggled and continued to scream, but this time in pain as It continued to scratch her. She kicked what It was and that only made the thing angrier, as It let out an animalistic growl.

 

Having enough of whatever _this_ was, Teddy finally turned the lights back on.

 

Amber laid on the floor her face badly scratched and tears streaming down her cheeks, her mascara smudged. She seemed frozen in fear. It took a few seconds and then she got up and started to scream in terror and ran past him.

 

He watched silently as she left, wishing he could go with her. He slowly turned around and looked at Tate.

 

Tate sat in the rocking chair and watched her leave with a satisfied smirk. 

 

It managed to piss Teddy off and scare him at the same time.

 

"I don't think she'll be bothering you anymore." Tate said with a smile, his dark eyes gleaming, as he looked at Teddy for appraisal.

 

Teddy wasn't going to give it to him though.

 

"What the fuck was that?!" Teddy shouted at Tate, who flinched and took a step towards him.

 

"What are you talking about? She hit me in the balls and got away. She must have run into a wall or something." Tate replied, giving him a worried look, as if _Teddy_  was seeing things.

 

"No! I saw something!" Teddy protested.

 

Didn't he?

 

 _Was_ he seeing things?

 

Was it the pills he had taken in the school bathroom before coming home? Did they mess him up?

 

 _No,_ they couldn't have.

 

Teddy had taken them before, and they'd never made him see things. And definitely not whatever that _thing_ was.

 

"What are you talk...? Teddy, you're talking crazy. This is cool. We showed that bitch." Tate said, a happy smile on his face that made him look angelic and innocent.

 

 _He's lying to me._ Teddy thought upset.

 

 

"Get out." 

 

"Teddy-"

 

"Get out! I don't ever want to see you again!"

 

Tate took a step forward and gave him a hurt expression, his dark eyes full of pain and tears. Teddy normally would have given in, but now, after _whatever_ he had seen, he  _wouldn't_ give in.

 

He shoved Tate out of the way and ran up the steps, trying to get away from Tate and whatever that _thing_ was in the basement.

 

As Teddy reached the top of the stairs, he could hear Tate yell out, "I thought you weren't afraid of _anything_!"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And I'm finally done with the pilot! Now we can move onto the actual plot.   
> Amber was always going to go in the basement, but I was going to have the two jocks too. I didn't though when I realized that it would require more effort on my part and I'm impatient to get to the next episode, so...yeah.  
> Fun fact the jocks names are Reggie and Charlie.


	5. Home Invasion (part one)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is short, but the episode isn't going to be really long to be honest. Most of the scenes are either Constance and Addie, Vivien, Violet, and Leah, and Ben and Hayden in the episode and there isn't really a lot of time for Teddy, so I'm having to put in scenes NOT in the episode and I'm trying to give Violet/Leah and Teddy/Tate more screen time.

Teddy walked behind Violet and Leah as the two girls opened the door to their house. The two were talking about something that Teddy had tuned out a while ago, his mind was on other things. Like school, his family, Amber, _Tate_.

 

He was always thinking about Tate lately, that day played in his head every night and kept him from sleeping. 

 

Amber's screaming, Tate's maniacal laughs, that _Thing_ _'s_ teeth and razor sharp nails trying to claw at him instead of Amber in his dreams. That was the worst part and would wake him up at night with a scream stuck in throat and sweat running down his face.

 

 

Teddy hadn't talked to Tate in almost a week and while it was painful for him-and for his growing feelings for the blonde-he knew it was probably for the best. He felt bad whenever he would see Tate leaving his father's office with a hurt puppy eyes aimed directly at him.

 

Teddy did feel lonely without Tate and missed the blonde's love of 90s music, specifically  _Kurt Cobain_ , and would almost give in and invite him to Teddy's room, but then he would remember _why_ he was ignoring Tate and would stop himself.

 

Besides Teddy was still healing from his fight a week prior and he didn't really have the energy to do much, much less hash it out with Tate. His nose was finally starting to heal and his split lip was almost gone by now, his ribs still ached but a few pain killers got rid of that easily.

 

Violet and Leah walked upstairs to the former's bedroom and Teddy couldn't resist calling out, "Keep your door open! No funny business Missy!"

 

His sister shot him a dirty look and quickly led Leah away from him, her cheeks tinted pink. Violet's boots stomped on the floor and Leah's heels made a fast click-clack noise and than Teddy heard a door slam and he chuckled quietly to himself.

 

* * *

 

 

Violet slammed the door behind her, annoyed. She didn't know why Teddy would say that, especially in front of Leah. She let out a huff and walked to her bed where Leah was sitting and sat down next to the other girl. 

 

An awkward silence hung over them, suffocating Violet. She waited for Leah to sat something, _anything_ , but for once the other girl was quiet. 

 

"I'm sorry about my brother. He likes to mess with me." Violet spoke, the silence from the brunette making her fidget nervously. 

 

"It's okay." Leah said, looking around her bedroom curiously, "I know he didn't mean anything by it." 

 

"Yeah, he didn't. Teddy likes to tease me about everything and the people I li-" Violet cut herself off. 

 

Was she about to say 'the people I like'? 

 

Did she like Leah?

 

As in _more_ than a friend?

 

As in a crush on Leah?

 

Violet thought about it.

 

She thought about Leah and her smiles, her shiny hair, her gorgeous blue eyes and-

 

Fuck.

 

 

Violet liked Leah.

 

"Vi? Are you okay?" A sweet voice asked, breaking Violet's thoughts. 

 

Leah was giving her a concerned look and Violet's heart started to beat and she _knew_.

 

"Yeah. I'm fantastic." 


	6. Home Invasion (part two)

Teddy laid in bed, tossing and turning trying to get some sleep. Every time he had started to doze off he would hear a creak in his bedroom and would bolt up, his heart pounding and turn the light on. Teddy had taken two sleeping pills two hours earlier and he still hadn't fallen asleep, he knew the affects of the pills would take awhile and he was used to it at this point, but Teddy was just so tired at this point.

 

Almost a week of sleepless nights would take a toll on anybody and Teddy was no exception. He hand't gotten any sleep before the move either, but at least then he had his weed and his parents were to busy fighting to notice him. To busy trying to save their failing marriage and their little broken family to notice their intoxicated son and their daughter who started to wear long sleeves, even in the blazing hot summer heat.

 

As Teddy had finally managed to doze off and fall asleep, he was startled awake by the break in alarm from downstairs. The noise was loud and ear splintering, and very annoying. Cursing under his breath, Teddy pulled the covers off quickly and made his way to his bedroom door. Fearing the worst, he took a deep breath and yanked the door open.

 

When Teddy opened the door, he saw his sister poking her head out of her bedroom door, "What's going on?" Teddy asked.

 

"I don't know." Violet looked annoyed, "It sounded like someone started the alarm."

 

"Did someone break in?" Teddy asked dumbly. 

 

Violet gave him a dry look and answered in a deadpan voice, "Gee, Teddy, I don't know. Maybe they were trying to kill us, not burglar us."

 

Squinting his eyes at her, Teddy glared, "Don't mess with me, Vi. I couldn't sleep."

 

"What, were you having sex dreams about Tate?" Violet said, looking smug.

 

"You would know, wouldn't you?" Teddy shot back, "I bet you were dreaming about Leah, huh?"

 

That wiped the smug look off of her face, Violet started turning red in the face. Shooting him one last glare, Violet slammed the door behind her.

 

Teddy didn't really feel guilty for what he said, knowing it was at least partially true. He wasn't stupid, he saw the way Violet looked at Leah and the way Leah would look at his sister in return. The way they were always touching; leaning against one another, brushing their hands together, and always looking at one another. It was cute, in a sickeningly sweet way. He wished them the best on their endeavor to romance territory.

 

The alarm finally stopped blaring and the house was quiet again. Teddy hadn't noticed how quiet the house was until now. He turned his head when he heard footsteps coming down the hall toward him. Teddy stood up, prepared for a burglar or a serial killer; he relaxed when he saw it was his mother walking toward him with a wooden baseball bat in hand, wearing his father's white button up. 

 

"Mom, what happened?" Teddy asked, meeting his mother halfway as she walked toward him.

 

Vivien rested a hand on his shoulder and hurriedly pushed him toward his bedroom door, "Go in your bedroom and lock the door, okay? I'm going to call the police." 

 

"Mom," Teddy protested, "What's going on? Why do you need to call the police? Did someone break in?" 

 

"Just go in your room and lock the door, okay, honey?" Vivien demanded, looking serious. She opened the door and pushed Teddy in gently, closing the door behind him.

 

Teddy listen to her footsteps walk away and stood there in bewilderment. What was going on? Was it serious? His mom said she was going to call the police, so it had to be. But then again, his mom was very overprotective of her kids and would take anything that would potentially harm them very seriously. And if Violet was right, than she was protecting not two, but three kids now. 

 

He didn't really care if his mom was pregnant, but he didn't not care either. Teddy would love and protect his little sibling just like he had always done for Violet. And the idea of a little cherub baby, who would probably look like a miniature version of his mom, being around them and making his family a little brighter made him feel happy. 

 

Teddy just hoped the baby wouldn't be born in the chaos that he called his family and turn out like him, or worse.

 

* * *

 

 

Teddy made his way down the stairs, feeling like both his ears and mouth were full of cotton. It was Saturday and his mother had let him sleep in, seeing his baggy eyes and pale complexion and worriedly telling him to get some sleep. He was thankful and had taken her offer, sleeping in until late into the afternoon. Teddy had finally woken up and, after using the bathroom, he made his way down to the kitchen feeling hungry and wanting something to snack on.

 

His mother stood in the kitchen, pouring a steaming cup of coffee. She glanced up when she heard his footsteps and smiled at Teddy warmly, "Hey, baby. Did you get some sleep?"

 

"Yeah," Teddy sat down on one of the stools surrounding the kitchen table, "I finally got some good sleep."

 

"That's good," Vivien said, ripping open a packet of creamer and pouring the contents in her mug.

 

"Where's Violet? I knocked on her door and she wasn't in there." Teddy asked, staring dreamily at the coffee.

 

"She and Leah left awhile ago." Vivien replied, with a teasing grin, "They were holding hands, I think."

 

"Oh, really?" Teddy gave her a teasing grin in return, "They sure do move fast." His mom laughed in agreement, stirring her cup. 

 

Vivien must have noticed Teddy eye fucking her coffee cup, because she asked, "Do you want some, sweetheart?"

 

"That'd be great, mom." Teddy gave her a sweet grin, "And maybe something to eat, please?" 

 

Snorting in amusement, Vivien poured him a cup in his Darth Vader mug he got for Christmas two years ago. She handed him the cup carefully and Teddy let out a sigh of relief when the warmness of the cup seeped into his hands and warmed up his body. For some reason the house was always cold, no matter what.

 

"You can get something to eat for your self, I'm not your maid." Viven told him, giving him the box of creamer and the jar of sugar with a spoon.

 

"No you're not," Teddy replied, opening the box and pulling out five creamers, "We have Moira for that. I'll wait for her to make me something then."

 

"Teddy!" Viven gave him a stern look, "Moira is not your personal maid, you have to do some things without her help."

 

Teddy raised an eyebrow at her. Wasn't Moira supposed to do the cooking and cleaning for them? That's why his parents were paying her in the first place. That and his mom felt bad for the elderly woman, trying to help her out and giving her the job of house keeper - and paying her with money that Teddy knew they didn't really have to spare at the moment. The move and buying the house had taken a huge hit on their financial situation, and his father wasn't seeing as many patients as he did before the move.

 

"Okay, fine." Teddy put a couple of large tea spoons full of sugar and stirred his cup, "I'll make something later, or I'll just wait until dinner." He lifted the Darth Vader cup to his lips and took a sip, immediately spitting out the liquid as it burned the inside of his mouth. "Fuck!" 

 

"Teddy!" His mother cried out, "Language!" 

 

Teddy would have laughed if the inside of his mouth didn't feel like it was on fire at the moment. Taking pity on him, his mother poured him a glass of cold water and gave it to him. Immediately feeling relief as the cool water cooled off his burning tongue, Teddy drink the cool liquid. 

 

The back door creaked open and both he and his mother turned to it seeing their neighbor, Constance, opening the door and walking in like she owned the damn house. She was carrying a plate of cupcakes. They were chocolate cupcakes and had chocolate icing and Teddy's mouth watered in desire to eat them. 

 

"Oh, Constance." Vivien said with a tight smile, "Now's not a good time."

 

"I just wanted to bring these by as a little peace offering for Addy disturbing your slumber." Constance said, raising the plate like one would a white flag. 

 

So it was Addy who broke in the house last night? Teddy liked Addy and didn't care about her down syndrome; he thought she was a sweet girl - with a bitch for a mother. Constance was their neighbor, and while Teddy had not met her until now, he knew he wouldn't really like her.

 

"Thank you." Viven said, nodding her head.

 

"I'm gonna have to start strapping her in at night again." Constance said, nonchalantly.

 

What the fuck? Did this woman actually do that do her own kid? While Teddy didn't like the fact that Addy kept breaking in, he didn't think she needed to be strapped down every night - or _ever_.

 

"Um-" Vivien stared in shock at the other woman, "Well, I appreciate it." His mother quickly made her way in front of Constance, blocking her from entering the house any further. "I'm not usually much of a cupcake girl myself, but-" Vivien outstretched a hand toward the plate to take it form the other woman.

 

"They're not for you, " Constance said, pulling the plate toward her protectively, eyeing Vivien in a way that made Teddy's hackles rise, "At your age?"

 

 _Don't you dare say it you stupid bitch_ , Teddy warned her in his head. 

 

"You might as well just Krazy Glue a stick of butter to your ass." Constance said with a laugh, looking amused, "These are for Violet and Teddy." She smiled at Teddy, and he thought the smile was fake as hell.

 

"Oh, I see the little flowers and teddy bears there." Vivien pointed at the candies on top of the cupcakes.

 

"Candied violets and teddy bears." Constance continued, admiring her work, "They're from a wonderful Mexican market on Alvarado Street. I'll give you the name." Constance paused to warned his mother, "Just don't go after sundown."

 

Jesus. What was wrong with this woman? Even if what she said was true, Constance didn't need to say to say it like that.

 

"Okay." Vivien held her hand pout for the plate with a smile as fake as Constance's, "Thank you."

 

Constance stopped and stared at his mother, and she seemed surprised as she looked Vivien up and down with wonder in her eyes. Her eyes glittered in a way that made Teddy's skin crawl, he couldn't explain it, he just knew whatever was in her eyes made him uncomfortable.

 

"What." Vivien demanded, looking irritated.

 

"You're with child." Constance spoke after a moment of silence that Teddy enjoyed, "I have the nose of a truffle pig." She smiled at the look of disbelief on Vivien's face, "I could smell that little angel the second I walked in the door." Constance paused to add, "Pheromones."

 

"Wow." 

 

"So, uh, is Violet home? I'd like to hand these to her personally." Constance questioned, "I'm a sucker for penance."

 

"No, she's- she's not here." Viven replied, looking startled at the change in topic, "But Teddy is." Vivien pointed over at Teddy, who froze at the unwanted attention of the other woman.

 

"Hi." Teddy raised his hand in half wave. "I'm Teddy, I don't think we've met before."

 

"No, we haven't." Constance said, eyeing him in appraisal, "You look like you're momma here, but you've got your daddy's hair." Constance took a step closer to him and cupped his face with one hand. Teddy stiffened looking into her brown eyes. They looked really familiar, like Teddy had seen them before somewhere, but he couldn't place where. "You have such pretty green eyes and very smooth skin. Almost as soft as a baby's bum." Constance patted his cheek gently, before releasing Teddy. 

 

"Thanks." Teddy replied awkwardly. "You have, uh, really nice hair." He complimented.

 

"Oh, what a sweet and charming young man." Constance smiled sweetly at him and handed him one of the cupcakes with a little teddy bear candy on it. "Here you go, dear."

 

"Thank you, ma'am." Teddy thanked her, taking the cupcake she offered and putting it on top of a plate his mother handed him.

 

"None of that ma'am business," Constance waved her hand with a smile, "Call me Constance, dear."

 

"Okay, thank you - Constance." Teddy nodded at her.

 

  
"Well, I'll be going. I'll come back later when Violet is home to hand her cupcakes to her, in person." Constance said, turning to leave.

 

Teddy smiled falsely at her and said goodbye, trying to be as polite as possible so the woman would just _leave_ already.

 

"Constance?" Vivien questioned as Constance was almost out the door. Constance turned back around with a questioning smile, "I know this is a crazy question, but do you smell anything else - about the baby?" 

 

 _What are you doing mom?_ Teddy thought desperately, trying to give his mother a look. Constance was almost gone, and now his mother wants her to stay?

 

"Two sugars and a great deal of half and half." Constance grinned at her shark like and made her way over to wear Teddy was sitting at the kitchen table. "Are you worried about something in particular?" She asked Vivien as she poured Constance a cup of coffee hurriedly. 

 

Teddy cut off half a piece of the cupcake Constance gave him and slid it toward his mother, "Do you want some, mom?" 

 

Vivien gave him a thankful nod and put her half on a napkin. Constance eyed the piece of cupcake Teddy had given his mother with a weird look on her face, but didn't say anything.

 

"Can I ask you a personal question?" Vivien asked her and when Constance gave a brief nod, she continued, "If you had known about Addy before she was born would you have done something? When I first met you, you said that if they'd had the tests back then that you might have-"

 

Constance cut her off, "Oh, don't think I didn't think about it, even after she was born leaving that little bug-eye out in the cold. That's what they do in China." Constance sat up taller and inhaled, "But a mother never turns her back on her child. Every one of mine was pure love."

 

Teddy raised an eyebrow at that, but shrugged it off. He was about to take a bite of the cupcake when he caught sight of Tate standing in the doorway, shaking his head no. ' _What?_ ' Teddy mouthed at him, with a slight glare. He still hadn't forgiven the boy for what he did to Amber. He might not have liked the bitch, but she didn't deserve what happened to her. Then again, Teddy didn't deserve what happened to him because of her either.

 

' _Don't eat it_.' Tate mouthed back, shooting a dirty look at the woman next to him, who was engrossed in the conversation with his mother. ' _Why?_ ' Teddy asked, looking nervously at the cupcake he held in his hand. Tate shook his head and mouthed quietly, ' _Just don't_.'

 

Even if Teddy was mad at the other boy, he still trusted him. Tate hadn't done anything to hurt him - at least not directly. Teddy nodded at the blonde and put the piece of cupcake back on the plate next to Violet's cupcake. When Teddy looked up again, Tate was gone. He furrowed his eyebrows and frowned, but doing what Teddy did best, he ignored it and moved on.

 

"My husband was the spitting image of Van Johnson. You'd think we'd make little cherub children, fat and lively but it wasn't meant to be." Constance said with a sad sigh, looking wistful, "I think our beauty was an affront to the gods."

 

 _What are they talking about now?_ Teddy wondered, taking a sip of his coffee now that it had cooled down.

 

"All four of them had Down's?" Vivien asked, looking sadly at Constance.

 

"Or some such malady." Constance looked away with an upset look on her face, "Except for one. He was a model of physical perfection." Constance looked reminiscent, and Teddy noticed her eyes had misted over with un-ushered tears, "He was my gift, but I lost him to other things." Constance hurriedly looked away and wiped at her eyes, "Your baby's fine. Enough sad talk." Constance said, looking bitter all of a sudden.

 

Before either Teddy or Vivien could speak, they were interrupted by Ben walking into the kitchen, "I'm off." He said, walking around Vivien and side eyeing Constance.. 

 

Teddy almost forgot today was the day that Ben was leaving for his trip to Boston, to see an old patient of his or something. Teddy hadn't really cared enough to listen to his explanation all the way through.

 

"What are we gonna do about Addy, Constance?" Ben asked, eyeing Constance down. "Oh, cupcake." Ben reached for the Violet's cupcake only to get his hand slapped away by Constance who said bluntly, "Not for you." The backdoor was opened again, this time by their housekeeper, Moira.

 

"Moira, darling. Put these away somewhere until little Violet can have them." Constance picked up with plate with Violet's uneaten cupcake and Teddy's half eaten cupcake, "The Harmons here are offending my largesse." Constance shot a look at Ben, "And don't forget the crumbs on the table." Constance told Moira, pointing at where the crumbs where in front of Teddy.

 

At the Harmons questioning looks, Constance smiled a smug little grin, "Moira and I go way back." Constance looked Moira right in the eyes as she talked, still looking smug - even when Moira glared at her. All Teddy could do was watched in shocked silence at their little pissing contest, his parents shooting one another uncomfortable looks.

 

"Isn't that right? Why, I even employed her for a time. I hope her dusting has improved." Constnace stood up and made her way to the backdoor, stopping when Moira started to speak.

 

"Your sense of humor was, and continues to be, a delight." Moira spoke up with a glare.

 

 "Is there anything more wonderful than the promise of a new child?" Constance questioned, not waiting for a reply, before looking at Ben and his luggage, "Or more heartbreaking when that promise is broken?" 

 

Constance finally left after giving Ben a look that Teddy couldn't make out, and Teddy narrowed his eyes in suspicion when his dad looked away guilty. Now that Constance was gone there a silence as everyone tried to get their brains working again.

 

"I'll bring this to the car." Moira spoke up, reaching down and grabbing Ben's suitcase. The red headed maid made her way out the door and walked away, the wheels on the suitcase creaking in protest.

 

"Thank you." Ben said, watching her leave. "Is everybody crazy?" Ben continued, looking at Vivien and Teddy in question. 

 

Vivien grinned at him in amusement and Teddy rolled his eyes, taking another sip of sweet, sweet coffee from his Darth Vader mug. It was colder now, but it was still good. It tasted like the ice coffee's Teddy would get QT for a two dollars. His was a little sweeter than theirs though.

 

Ben cupped Vivien's face and stoked her hair, which Teddy made a face at, " I wish you could come with me." He said softly, staring deep into Vivien's eyes.

 

"Me too." Vivien replied sadly, closing her eyes.

 

Teddy looked away. 

 

 


	7. Home Invasion (part three)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for this chapter: blood, gore, bad language, and attempted rape on a minor. 
> 
> If any of the warnings makes you uncomfortable, I advise to not read ahead and just wait until the next update.

Teddy sat in his desk chair in his room, absentmindedly drawing in his art book. His headphones were on and blasting Queen's  _Bohemian_ _Rhapsody_. Teddy was drawing the _Thing_ , whatever it was that had attacked Amber that day in the basement.

 

The creature still plagued his mind on mantra, It's hideous teeth, sharp nail like claws, and It's horrifying snarl as It attacked Amber and cut her up. 

 

His sketching pencil was moving furiously as he tried to draw it from his mind and remember what the thing looked like before it left his memory. His memories of that day were still as present as ever, as if it had happened a day ago, not almost half a week ago.

 

And he had to say, he did a good job on drawing the monstrous creature.

 

Teddy was so immersed into his sketching he didn't notice the hand creeping up to his shoulder until it was to late. The hand gripped his shoulder gently but firmly, and Teddy shirked like a little girl when he felt it. 

 

He whipped around to see his mother laughing at him, near hysterics. Teddy pulled his headphones carefully around his neck and gave her a what-the-fuck look. 

 

"What the hell, mom?" Teddy cried out, placing a hand on his heart dramatically, "You could have given me a heart attack!"

 

Vivien manged to say in between giggles, "I was going to ask if you wanted to watch a movie with me. Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." 

 

Teddy sighed, "It's okay." He put his sketchbook on his desk and put the pencil down on top of it. Teddy turned to his mother and asked with a grin, "So, what movie are we going to watch?"

 

Vivien beamed at him.

 

* * *

  

Teddy sat curled up next to his mother in her bed, watching Svengoolie with his mother; the horror movie of the night was  _Attack of the 50 Foot Woman_. While Teddy thought the movie was campy and the effects sucked, he liked the movie. He thought it was funny at times, and Rich Koz made him - and his mother - laugh with his attempted humor and campy jokes.

 

A huge bowl of buttered popcorn sat in between them; Teddy grabbed a handful and shoved them in his mouth. They were both so invested in the movie that when the doorbell rang it spooked them both, and Teddy almost kicked Hallie off of the bed.

 

Apologizing to the dog, Teddy sat up and was about to get up and go see who was knocking when his mother did it for him. Vivien ruffled his hair, "Stay. Enjoy the movie, I'll be right back."

 

Pouting at his mother, Teddy leaned back on the stack of pillows and continued to watch the movie. He was surprised when Hallie crawled up next to him, wagging her tail, looking like she wanted to be petted and wanted his attention. Teddy petted her gently and scratched behind her ears with his long nails, and Hallie let out a happy whine and let him. Normally Hallie wouldn't let anyone pet her but his mom.

 

His peace was interrupted by his mother screaming, "Violet! Teddy! Answer me!" Dread pooled into his stomach and Teddy got out of the bed as fast as possible, fearing the worst. He quickly put Hallie down on the floor and shut the door behind him so she couldn't get out of the room. Teddy raced down the hallway making his way to the stairs, his heart beating quickly. 

 

Violet was already walking down the stairs and she looked annoyed, "How am I supposed to finish my homework if you keep interrupting?" At Viven's scared and panic'd look she asked, "What's the matter?" 

 

"Where's your phone?"

 

"In my bag upstairs."

 

"Go - go get it." Vivien stuttered at her. His mother noticed him behind Violet and told them quickly, "Both of you go get your phones and dial 911."

 

The doorbell rang again, and the dread in Teddy's stomach multiplied by hundred. This wasn't like last night, this wasn't a sweet girl with down syndrome breaking into their home again; this was serious, someone was at the door and it wasn't a friend. 

 

"Who's that?" Violet asked, looking nervously at the front door.

 

"Just go into your room - both of you." Vivien ushered them, looking over her shoulder with a frighten look when the bell rang again, "Lock the door. Don't come out until I tell you." 

 

"Mom, I'm not leaving you down here alone." Teddy protested, "We can go and get mine or Violet's phone and lock ourselves in your room."

 

"No, Go to your room, Teddy and lock yourself in there, okay?" Vivien demanded. "I'll get my phone from the kitchen."

 

Teddy thought that was a dumb idea and was going to tell her when she turned around and made her way to the kitchen. Letting out an exasperated huff, Teddy turned and raced his way to his bedroom. 

 

He made it there in record time, slamming the door behind him quickly - making sure to lock it - and racing over to where his phone was. He froze when he saw his phone wasn't on the charger anymore. Not letting the fear swallow him whole, Teddy started to look around his room desperately looking for his fucking phone. Teddy almost reached his breaking point when he couldn't find it. 

 

"Where the fuck is it?" Teddy muttered under his breath. 

 

"Looking for this?" A male voice taunted behind him.

 

Swallowing thickly, Teddy slowly turned around to see a male in a black hoodie and black mask standing behind him, holding up his phone in a black gloved hand. 

 

* * *

  

After a struggle that Teddy lost, he was led down stairs and shoved onto the floor next to his sister, who sat next to their mother. The four masked figures stood in front of them in all black with a black mask each - the kind you could get a Family Dollar for like, two dollars. Teddy glared a hole into the guy who he had fought and who had shoved him. Even though the mask was covering his face, Teddy knew the guy was smirking, and it pissed him off more.

 

"I have money," Vivien pleaded with them, "Please, just take anything."

 

One of the female figures with brown hair, scoffed, "We're not here to rob you." She turned to the other masked people, "Masks off." They all took their masks off, "The transcript was very clear. The nurses saw R. Franklin. He had nothing to hide." 

 

"Whose R. Franklin?" Teddy demanded, shooting them all a dirty look.

 

The brunette girl who was speaking earlier continued on as if he hadn't said anything, "Twelve minutes."

 

A blonde girl - who honestly looked high as fuck, and Teddy would know, he'd had that same look on his face many, many times before - said with a smirk, "Then the fun begins."

 

"I have a surprise for you guys." The brunette said, unwrapping whatever was in her hands. 

 

"No way!" A guy with his hair almost shaved to his scalp said, looking in wonder and child like glee at the weird looking bowl.

 

"I got it on eBay. Authenticated. It's the one he used to bash Maria." Brunette Girl said, looking smugly at her little band of idiots. 

 

The guy who had been the one to catch him spoke up for the first time, looking at the bowl imploringly, "Let me see it." He demanded, holding his hand out. He inspected the weird bowl and smirked, "Holy shit. It's the real deal."

 

"Who goes first?" The high looking blonde asked, eagerly, "Which one is Gladys?"

 

The Brunette looked at his mother and sister in thought pointing her knife at them in consideration. She pointed at Violet with the edge of the knife, with a smirk. The blonde girl reached into a bag and pulled out white fabric, and tossed it at Violet.

 

"Screw you, psycho." Violet flung the dress back at the blonde in anger, "I'm not putting this on."

 

"You have to." The blonde said, looking at Violet like she was the crazy one. "Everything has to be perfect."

 

"Take your clothes off!" Shaved Haired Guy demanded, reaching at Violet and tearing her sweater in the process. "No way!" Violet yelled at him in defiance. Teddy shoved at the guy so hard he hit the other guy behind him, both of them grunting in pain. The guy with a shaved head, steady'd himself and angrily walked but up to Violet and started to yank and pull at her shirt again, hitting Teddy in the nose with his elbow.

 

"Hey!" Vivien screamed, "Put it on me!"

 

"Oh, you'll both be wearing the uniforms." Brunette Girl mocked, "R. Franklin hated nurses. He had a bad experience with the mercury in a broken thermometer. That's why he took Gladys upstairs and drowned her in the tub." She pointed the knife back at Violet, "And you, Maria- He saved you for last." She pointed at Vivien this time.

 

"R. Franklin was the first, before Manson. He changed the culture. We're paying tribute to him." The blonde spoke up, looking happy.

 

She probably was, who knows what she was on.

 

"We're not going to be part of your reenactment." Vivien told them.

 

"Put this on." The Brunette said, throwing the white dress back at Violet. "You won't like it if I have to make you." 

 

It all happened so fast, Violet threw the dress in the girls face and made a run for it, his mother tripped one of the intruders before he could grab Violet, and Teddy shoved the other girls away form the door frame.

 

* * *

 

Violet ran toward the kitchen her heart racing, she made it into the kitchen and was abruptly pulled into the food pantry barely having time to process anything. A hand was pulled over her mouth to silence her. 

 

Violet was shoved up against the wall in the little room and she was turned around to face the intruder who grabbed her.

 

She was surprised to see Tate - the boy who her brother had befriended - standing in front of her with worried dark eyes. Violet let out a sigh of relief and rushed out, "Tate, they're trying to kill me, Teddy and my mom."

 

"Is Teddy okay?" Tate asked her seriously, at her nod he looked a little relieved and told her in a demanding voice, "Get them to the basement."

 

"What the hell are you talking about?" Violet whispered furiously, looking at him with angry and scared eyes.  


"The basement. Just do it." Tate told her, getting in her face and gripping her shoulders tightly. He stopped suddenly and took a step back quickly, his back resting against the wall in front of her.

 

The blonde intruder who looked out of her mind, stomped into the room and pointed her own knife at Violet angrily before grabbing her by the shoulders - tight enough to leave bruises - and yanking her out of the room.

 

* * *

 

"What are we supposed to do with him?" The guy who had roughened him up earlier asked, who Teddy had dubbed Douchebag, pointing his knife at Teddy. They had moved him away from his mother and he was shoved onto the couch, his arms tied behind his back. 

 

What was with these people and pointing their weapons at people? Did they have some alpha male complex? 

 

"I don't know." The other guy huffed out, who Teddy mentally named 'Fuckface' said, "There wasn't any boys in the murder, only the two nurses, who were girls." 

 

"He's pretty enough to be one." Douchebag said, standing in front of Teddy and slowly ran the knife down the side of his face. Teddy shuddered both in fear and the cold metal of the blade. "You like that, little one?" He smirked.

 

"I'm not into old men with saggy balls who can't get it up, thanks though." Teddy batted his eyes sweetly.

 

"I'm twenty-eight, you little shit." Douchebag gripped his face with one hand, angrily. 

 

"Could have fooled me," Teddy spit in his face, laughing when the guy yelped in disgust. 

 

Douchebag wiped the saliva off of his face and looked at blankly, before slapping Teddy across the face hard enough to leave a red hand imprint. At this rate, Teddy was never going to heal. First Amber and her goonies and now these assholes. Teddy was sick of it.

 

"I've had about enough from you." Douchebag hissed. The older man yanked him up by his arm - nearly pulling his arm out of the socket, Jesus, this guy was strong - and dragged him out of the room. Teddy yelled at the asshole to let him go as his mother screamed at them to let him go too, almost in tears at this point.

 

The Douchebag led him up the stairs, yanking Teddy up when he tripped on a step. Teddy was frightened and wished he had kept his mouth shut, because maybe he wouldn't be in this position. The older man pulled him to a stop in front of his bedroom door and shoved him inside and on his bed, roughly. Teddy bounced on the bed and let out a hiss when the ropes that was binding him tighten up by his movement.

 

Douchebag roughly shoved him onto his front and pulled him onto the edge of the bed, his legs leaning over the edge and the tips of his bare toes touching the cold floor underneath him. Teddy froze, his heart in his throat when he heard rustling and then the sound of a belt being taken off and a zipper being unzipped.

 

It suddenly hit Teddy what was happening. This man, this guy who broke into his house to do some stupid reenactment for some serial killer was going to rape him. Was going to take him by force and hurt him while his mother was tied downstairs and his sister was being drowned in a bathtub. Tears started to well in his eyes, and he sobbed hysterically trying to get away from the other man.

 

This monster. 

 

The older man didn't seem to like his struggling and yanked his head back by his hair, pulling his knife under Teddy's throat threateningly. "If you move, I will slice your fucking throat open and watch you bleed out. Maybe I'll go after your mother next? Maybe your sweet little sister, huh?" Teddy stopped struggling at that and sobbed harder, "Do you want me to go after them next, huh?" He hissed in his ear, and when Teddy's didn't move or make a sound beside his crying, the older man asked again, "Do you want me to go after them next?"

 

"No." Teddy manged to croak out. "Please don't touch them." Teddy babbled out, "You can have me, but please don't touch them. Please." 

 

"That's a good boy." The older man said appraising, letting go of his scalp to pet his hair, and finally moving the knife from his throat, "You'll be good boy for me won't you?" 

 

"Y-yes, I w-will." Teddy stuttered out, sobs wracking his body.

 

"Say it." The man demanded, "Say you'll be a good boy."

 

"I-I'll be a g-good," A sob, "A g-good boy."

 

The older man hummed and Teddy flinched when he felt the cool fabric of a gloved hand make it's way under his shirt and roam around his flat stomach, touching him. Teddy felt sick to his stomach and wanted to throw up as the man's hands continued to touch him. The older man's hands were huge and made Teddy feel even smaller and weaker then he already did. He flinched again when he felt the man cut off the rope binding his hands together with his sharp kitchen knife.

 

As the man continued to touch him, Teddy tried to block everything out and think about anything, something else. 

 

Teddy knew that once this man was done having his way with him, that Teddy was as good as dead. He knew this and accepted it. Teddy wouldn't get to see his new sibling or see his mother and sister ever again. He wouldn't get to see his father's proud smile at something Teddy did, ever again. His dad would come home from an already sad trip to the horrifying sight of his wife and his children murdered in their home. 

 

Teddy could picture it now, laying in his bed as a stranger molested him. The sadness, disbelief, and rage in his father's eye as he cried over his dead wife's body, clutching the place where his unborn child was. Teddy felt a bit of relief at the knowledge that his father would never give up until these monsters were caught, and either in jail, or hopefully - but very unlikely - dead.

 

He had managed to tune everything out and focus on his thoughts, on anything else but the man's hands on him, when he felt the man start to pull his pajama pants down. Teddy cried harder in and gripped the sheet of his bed hard, not letting go, needing something to hold onto - something to ground him. Just as the man had finally managed to pull his PJ's down enough, the weight of the man was suddenly gone.

 

Teddy froze and stared blankly at the wall of his bedroom where a few framed photos were; one of him and his mother, one of him and Violet, another of him and his mother, and then one of him, his sister, his mother and his father on a trip to New York City, all of them standing in front of the Statue of Liberty with smiles - even Violet. 

  

The sound of something being broken startled him out of his trance and he gripped the bed sheets harder, his fist turning white from his fierce grip. Fear filled his body and he closed his eyes and waited - for what? Teddy didn't really know, he was prepared just in case though, just in case the man was playing a trick on him and was waiting for Teddy to turn around and do something like stab him. 

 

Everything suddenly got quiet and it was an eerie kind of silence, the kind you'd only see in horror movies when the murderer snuck up on the victims and tried to kill them. That thought only managed to frighten Teddy more and he bit back a sob and squeezed his eyes shut tightly.

 

He jumped when a cold hand landed on his bare shoulder - where his over sized ACDC shirt had slipped off of in the struggle earlier - and tried to curl into himself further on his bed. The hand became two hands and than Teddy was being lifted off of the bed and into slightly larger arms then his own - but they weren't the large ones of the man who had been touching him previously.

 

"Teddy," Was that Tate's voice? What was Tate doing here? "Teddy, it's okay." Tate said comfortingly, "Shh, it's okay. I'm here now." Tate stroked his hair softly, hugging Teddy's smaller frame to his own. 

 

"Tate?" Teddy questioned, lifting his head up in amazement to see Tate. He cupped the other boy's face slowly, not really noticing the red liquid on the blonde's face, "Is it really you?" At Tate's nod he hugged the blonde tightly, a few tears escaping his eyes. 

 

Teddy felt something wet hit the side of his face and pulled back from Tate to touch his cheek gingerly and lifted his fingers to see what the liquid was. It wasn't his tears - it was blood. 

 

"Whose blood is this?" Teddy suddenly had a thought hit him and he started to check Tate over furiously, holding Tate's face gently and moving it around to see if any of the blood on Tate would lead to a wound, "Are you hurt? Did he hurt you?" 

 

"No." Tate grabbed his hand gingerly and held it, stroking his hand gently, "No, he didn't hurt me." 

 

"Then whose blood-?" Teddy froze when he caught sight of the still body of the man who was about to do the most despicable thing that could ever be done. "Is he-is he dead?" 

 

"Yes." Tate said, staring deeply into his eyes with guilt.

 

"Did you kill him?" Teddy asked, numbly.

 

Tate hesitated before answering sadly, "Yes. But I had too! He was going to rape you!" Tate defended himself, looking desperately at Teddy. "I was doing it for you..."

 

"Good." Teddy said emotionless, "He deserved it. He was going to rape me." Teddy glared a the corpse, rage replacing the fear from earlier, "I hope he rots in hell."

 

Tate swallowed and a dark look entered his already dark eyes, Teddy was too tired and angry to even bother trying to understand it and just leaned against Tate. The other boy held him tightly for a moment, soaking in the warm of Teddy before gently letting him go.

 

"I'll help your mother and sister escape, okay?" Tate said, stroking the side of Teddy's face softly. Teddy shuddered a bit when he felt the cold hand wipe away the tears on his face, "I need you to do me a favor and stay here until I get back, okay?

 

"Okay." Teddy nodded understandingly, looking up at Tate through his eyelashes.

 

His mother and sister was his top priority right now, he would deal with what happened to him later - after his family was safe and sound.

 

* * *

 

Teddy didn't have to wait long before Tate was back and ushering him down the stairs gently, telling him his mother and sister were waiting for him downstairs.

 

He had just managed to make his way down the stairs when his mother came barreling down the stairs herself and she let out a cry of relief when she saw him, grabbing arm - and Teddy flinched at the sudden movement.

 

His mother frowned at that but didn't have time to dwell on it when the basement door opened and Violet came out of the door quickly. Violet looked relieved to see them and quickly grabbed them both into a brief hug, Teddy tried not to flinch and shove her away. 

 

Teddy didn't know why, but the sudden contact of his mother and sister made his skin crawl in discomfit. He was fine being touched and held by Tate earlier, so he didn't know why hid body was rejecting his family's touch.

 

The three family members let out a sigh of relief at seeing one another, before hearing a noise upstairs and they ran out the door as fast and as far away as possible.

 

"Somebody help us! Help! Somebody help us! Call the police! Help!" Vivien screamed as they ran down the street as far away from their new home as possible. 

 

They passed Constance's house, who stared in disbelief at them, clutching her curtains in shock.

 

* * *

 

Teddy sat in the next room as his parents were being questioned by police, his eyes blank. The cops had been questioning him and his sister non stop for hours and had only allowed them a break when his father had arrived.

 

His dad had arrived this morning and the police had immanently began question him, asking about his whereabouts and if he knew anything about a patient of his. Teddy wasn't really surprised when he heard a cop tell his father that one of the intruders that had broken in was a patient he had started seeing.

 

Violet gave him a gentle look when she finally managed to catch his eyes. Teddy gave her a weak smile in return, clutching desperately at the sleeves of his sweeter, trying to make himself as small as possible.

 

Everything that had happened last night was still in his head, playing out like a movie; his mother being tied to a chair - her screaming for her children desperately, his sister being led away from him and the fear of never seeing her again, his almost rape at the hands of that - _monster_ , Tate killing the man and saving Teddy from what would have happened had he not stepped in, the man's corpse and Teddy feeling nothing but numbness and slight relief as he stared at the dead body.

 

Teddy shook the thoughts away, and took a small sip of warm tea a female police officer had offered him kindly. Seeing Tate last night was the only good thing that had happened to Teddy that night, all his feelings toward the blonde boy about Amber and whatever that thing in the basement was were gone. 

 

Whatever had been in the basement had nothing on what had happened to Teddy last night. The thing in the basement felt like a hallucination, something that had happened in a dream, something not _real_. What happened last night was very, very  _real_.

 

If it wasn't for Tate, Teddy doesn't think anyone in the house would have made it out alive. He wasn't stupid, Teddy knew - he _knew_ \- that Tate had killed the others and he didn't even _care_. Tate had done them - and the world - a favor by killing those assholes, and getting rid of the bastards. Teddy knows it's wrong to feel anything but fear and disgust towards someone who murdered another human being, it was immoral and wrong to kill.

 

But Teddy didn't feel that way. He felt relief and good that the man from last night was dead, never to be seen again. Never touching another person like he had touched Teddy.

 

The cops finally left his parents and he and Violet made their way into the dining room, slowly. The detectives nodded at them as they left. Teddy watched them cautiously, and only looked away once he was sure they were really gone.

 

Ben stood up and made his way toward them, asking Violet, "Violet, your mom said that you told her that Tate helped you escape?" 

 

"Yeah. Thanks for not dragging him into all that." Violet gave a pointed look over her shoulder at the cops scattered around their house.

 

"What was he doing in the house?" Ben questioned her, looking stern.

 

Teddy narrowed his eyes at his father in disbelief, he heard that Tate them escape and he got pissy about it? Tate had done more for them in one night then Ben ever done, ever. 

 

"How should I know?" Violet shrugged, looking irritated. "You think I let him in? I barely even know Tate." 

 

Ben nodded before directing his attention to Teddy, "Did you let him in?" 

 

"What?" Teddy blinked, "You think I let him in?"

 

"Teddy." Ben gave him a look that made Teddy's blood boil.

 

"I don't know why Tate was here." Teddy manged to say with hissing, feeling anger seep into his very being, "But I'm glad he was." Teddy glared at his dad, "Because _you_ weren't here."

 

Teddy brushed past his father and stopped to say to his mother and sister, "You both were really brave. You didn't need anybody to save you."

 

_I did._

  

With his piece said and done, Teddy walked off and up to his bedroom. 

 


	8. Murder House (part one)

Teddy leaned against the brick wall outside in his backyard, inhaling a cigarette, Tate sitting across from him. He blew a ring of smoke at the blonde with a smirk. Tate rolled his eyes with a grin, laughing quietly. 

 

Teddy inhaled another puff and handed the cigarette to Tate when the blonde held his hand out patiently. It was Teddy's turn it laugh when Tate blew a cigarette smoke at him. 

 

"This reminds me off something I saw in a movie once." Teddy said, breaking the silence.

 

"Yeah?" Tate questioned, resting the cigarette between his fingers to look at him. 

 

"It was in The Hobbit, maybe?" Teddy played with a rip in his jeans, pulling at a loose thread.  "I saw it with my dad, last year, I think." Tate snorted, shaking his head in amusement.

 

"You're such a nerd." Tate said, looking over at him fondly. "But I like that about you."

 

"Thanks." Was all Teddy could say, his cheeks turning red. He bit the inside of his cheek to keep in a smile but failed to hide it.

 

After everything that had happened That Night as Teddy had dubbed it, he and Tate had started to grow closer and Teddy had opened up a little more to the handsome blonde. There friendship was still a bit tentative, but they were working on. 

 

Teddy wasn't going to lie, part of the reason was because of what had occurred That Night. Teddy tried not to think about it and move on, but it was extremely hard to just forget about it. The dead body of his would rapist lying dead on the wooden floor of his bedroom. Teddy didn't know what happened to the body of the man or the blood stains that _should_ be on his floor - and didn't ask.

 

Teddy was scared of running Tate off and the boy never talking to him again. It was stupid to be scared of that and not the fact that Tate had obviously murdered at least three of the four people that had broken in That Night. Teddy wasn't afraid of Tate, though. He felt more safe with the other boy then he did fear.

 

"What are you thinking about?" Tate asked curiously, watching him though hooded eyes.

 

"You." Teddy said honestly, staring at Tate with a small smile. 

 

"Hm." Tate hummed, taking one more puff off of the cigarette and before handing it to him, "What were you thinking about exactly? Do tell."

 

Teddy took a deep inhale of smoke. _Should he tell Tate about what he knew? About Tate killing the other intruders?_ Teddy wondered. Before he could even think about answering, he heard footsteps making their way toward him and Tate's spot.

 

Quickly stubbing the cigarette out, Teddy swallowed the smoke in his mouth and coughed as his father made his way toward him. He glanced out of the corner of his eye to see Tate had hidden himself behind the brick pillar the blonde had been leaning against moments ago.

 

"Relax." Ben sighed when he saw the leftover cigarette smoke, "I'm not here to bust you."

 

"Why not?" Teddy asked, eyeing him. 

 

"After what you guys went through last week-" Ben started.

 

"Seriously, Dad, I'm fine." Teddy told him with slight annoyance, "Besides, it'll make a great college essay one day for Violet."

 

"Okay. But if you ever want to talk to somebody-"

 

"Dad." Teddy rolled his eyes. The last thing he needed right now was a therapist telling him what was wrong with him, or trying to pry at him and his life.

 

"I mean, not me." Ben said quickly, "You know, I'm way too expensive." Ben chuckled and Teddy gave him a small smile, "But we can find you someone."

 

"Okay. Thanks." When his dad didn't move, Teddy looked away and said quietly, "I'll think about it."

 

Ben gave him a small pat on the knee - and Teddy tried not to freeze up, he really did - and gave him a brief smile, before walking away and into the backdoor of their house.

 

Teddy watched him go in silence, trying to calm down his racing heartbeat. He about jumped out of skin when Tate hoisted himself up on the brick wall to seat next to him - sitting closer to Teddy then he was earlier - and grinned at him. 

 

"He's a great dad." Tate spoke up, "He really cares." Tate's eyes were expressive and he looked like he meant every word, "You're lucky like that."

 

"Yeah," Teddy said quietly, biting his lip, "He is."

 

Teddy looked away from Tate's expressive eyes and picked up a new cigarette from the pack. He raised the unlit cigarette to his lips and blinked up at Tate when the other boy lit it for him, no questions asked. Teddy sent the blonde a smile, his cheeks feeling warm.

 

Tate grinned back, his eyes flickering to Teddy's mouth when he inhaled on the cigarette, his eyes turning darker in arousal.

 

Teddy looked away, pretending he didn't see it and exhaled.

 

* * *

 

 

Sitting next to his mother on the Eternal Darkness Tour with the sun beating down on his back, Teddy rested his head on the palm of his hand and stared at the tour guide, Stan, in boredom. The man was babbling on and on about celebrities who had died in the Los Angles area where Teddy and his family lived in, his mother and the other occupants in the car hanging onto his every word. 

 

They finally came to a stop in front of their house - which was the reason Teddy and his mother were even on the tour in the first place.

 

"Our tour concludes with one of the most famous houses of horrors in the City of Angels better known as the Murder House. Built in 1922 by Dr. Charles Montgomery acclaimed surgeon to the stars for his wife Nora, a prominent East Coast socialite." Stan said, glancing at the house in excitement, speaking in his microphone.

 

The man started to tell the story of how Charles and his wife, Nora, had started a small side business that included the abortion of multiple women who had wanted to get rid of their unborn babies to make their lives easier and to achieve their dreams without anything holding them back.

 

"An estimated two dozen girls went under Dr. Montgomery's knife, thanks to his wife, Nora. But the souls of the little ones must have weighed heavily upon them as their reign of terror climaxed in a shocking finale in 1926." Stan said dramatically, looking at the eager faces of the passengers, blatantly ignoring Teddy's unimpressed look.

 

Teddy glanced over when he saw his mother hurriedly tying her sweater around her waist, his face still in his palm and his sunglasses shielding his eyes from the sun. Teddy furrowed his eyebrows together in confusion before glancing down, and he about passed out when he saw blood staining the front of his mother's white pants.

 

Was something wrong with the baby? Was his mother having another miscarriage? Teddy knew the statistics for older women who went through pregnancy, but had hoped that it wouldn't affect his mother again this time around.

 

"Mom? Are you okay?" Teddy asked, worriedly.

 

"No, something's wrong with the baby." Vivien replied, sounding distraught.

 

Vivien quickly opened the door to the car and ran out, Teddy hot on her heels. 

 

"You can't go in there, ma'am!" Stan yelled after them. "Sir! You can't go in there!"

 

"We live here!" Teddy yelled back, running after his mother and across the front yard.

 

 


	9. Murder House (part two)

Teddy watched Violet and Leah make heart eyes at one another across the dinning room table, his parents talking quietly with each other. His parents had come back from their trip to the hospital and had brought back good news and Chinese food. The baby was in find condition, and it was normal for a pregnant mother to start bleeding.

 

Teddy didn't understand the science behind it and honestly, he didn't really care. He was just glad his mom was healthy and the baby was okay.

 

"So, Leah, how long have you and Violet been friends?" Ben asked, taking a bite off his sesame chicken.

 

"Awhile?" Leah glanced over at Violet who shrugged, "About two, three months maybe?"

 

"That was - what? When we first moved here then?" Ben asked.

 

"Yeah, I guess." Leah replied, stirring her noodles around with her chopsticks, her cast finally gone.

 

"Dad." Violet warned, shooting Ben a small glare. "Stop it."

 

"What?" Ben asked, raising his hands in surrender, "I just want to get to know my daughters, um, _friend_."

 

Teddy glanced away with a snort, trying not to laugh and failing. Yeah, sure. Leah was her _friend_.

 

Violet shot him a glare and asked, "How's Tate doing, Teddy?" Everyone looked up at that and at Teddy, looking at him expectantly for answers.

 

"Um, he's good." Teddy said, avoiding his dad gaze.

 

"You talked to Tate?" Ben questioned him with a frown.

 

"Well, yeah." Teddy shrugged nonchalantly, moving a piece of sweet and sour chicken around on his plastic plate, "We're friends, dad."

 

"When?"

 

"Why does it matter?" Teddy shot his dad an annoyed look.

 

"Teddy, Tate's a bad kid." Ben gave him a stern look, "You shouldn't be hanging around him." The table was silence everyone watching Ben and Teddy - Leah looking awkwardly between the father and son.

 

"Ben," Vivien spoke up, resting a hand on Ben's shoulder - both in warning to drop it and to leave Teddy alone, "Tate helped Violet and Teddy escape, remember?" Vivien shot a smile at Teddy and said warmly, "Tate's more then welcome to have dinner with us too, sweetheart." 

 

Teddy looked up in excitement, "Really?"

 

"Really?" Violet echoed him. 

 

"Viv," Ben protested, looking at his wife pleadingly.

 

"I mean it," Vivien said, giving Ben a final look, "It doesn't have to be _now_ , but he can come over whenever he wants when we move into the new apartment."  

 

"Cool." Teddy grinned and took a bite of his noodles. 

 

 

* * *

 

 

"My mom said you could have dinner with us one of these nights." Teddy spoke up next to Tate who laid on his bed across from him, reading a book about birds. Teddy had gotten it form the school library for him, hoping to surprise the other boy.

 

Tate had looked at the book in surprise and gently took it from his hands to look it over, looking at the beaten up cover and the slightly yellowed pages of an obviously old book.

 

"Yeah?" Tate glanced up at him under his long eyelashes and Teddy's breath caught in his throat. Tate smiled teasingly, "Like a date?" 

 

"Yeah, like a date." Teddy teased back, putting his pencil down and on his sketchbook. "You have to get my mother's blessings before you can tap _this_." Teddy jokingly gestured at his body. "I don't give out on the first date, either."

 

Tate put the bookmark Teddy had given him earlier - it had little cartoon birds on it - and bookmarked his page, sitting up to ask Teddy seriously, "Do you want me to meet your mom?" 

 

 

Teddy paused and bit his lip, looking away nervously, "I don't know. Maybe?" He glanced back at Tate and asked him, "Do you want to meet my mom?"

 

"Yeah..." Tate trailed off.

 

"But?" 

 

"Not right now." Tate said, picking up the book again, running his fingers over the cover, the metal of his thumb ring glinting. "Is that okay?" Tate glanced up at him, looking slightly nervously.

 

"Of course it's okay." Teddy told him, giving him a small smile, "You don't have to meet her, like, right now or anything. You can meet her whenever you want to."

 

Tate nodded his head silently, opening his book and beginning to read again. "Okay."

 

Teddy picked up his pencil and began to work on his drawing of Tate again, the blonde looking up with a brief smirk in his direction before diverting his gaze back to his book of birds. Teddy didn't mention anything about the move to Tate, not wanting to say anything in case - by some miracle - they didn't actually move.

 

* * *

 

 

Following behind Violet and his mother, Teddy looked at the studio apartment in bemusement. Today was the day his mother had wanted to look at new places to stay at. He couldn't fault her for wanting to leave their new home, not after what had happened there. Teddy just wished they didn't have to move, again. What if he couldn't see Tate as frequently anymore because of the move? 

 

"So, as I mentioned on the phone, the carpet will be steam-cleaned before move-in." The owner said, chewing on a piece of gum and looking very unprofessional in her blue jeans and her crop top - that showed off the tattoo on her back, right above where her ass was, "There's a dock there for your iPod or your iWhatever." 

 

"Well," Vivien began, looking around the room, "I'll tell you what I do like. I like that security guy at the door."

 

Teddy looked around the neutral colored room, unimpressed. 

 

"Excuse me." Violet spoke up for the first time since they had gotten in the car to come here, "Can my mom and I have a moment?" Violet nodded her head toward the door at the woman, "Alone."

 

"Sure. I'll be in the rental office." The woman paused at the door to say, "I got someone else coming in 20 minutes."

 

"Glad we moved all the way to California since we could be totally anywhere." Violet said once the woman was out the door and gone.

 

"I think it has a certain-" Vivien began, looking around the room, unsure.

 

Violet wasn't done speaking and cut her off, "You and Dad- _both_ of you. You don't deal with anything. The affair, the miscarriage." _Ouch_ , Teddy winced at that, "For most people that's just life, and they deal. But you guys had to uproot everything - drag everyone across the country to start all over."

 

 _Please don't bring me into this, Vi_ ,Teddy thought, looking anywhere but at his angry sister and his sympathetic mother.

 

"Honey, I don't think you've quite processed what happened to us in that house." Violet gave her mother a confused look as Vivien spoke, "That was devastating. That was a nightmare."

 

Teddy winced and rubbed his arm at his mother's words, trying not to think about what happened that night. He still hadn't told anyone what that man had tried to do to him and didn't plan on telling anyone - the only one who knew, besides him was Tate and Teddy trusted the other boy to not say anything to _anyone_ , let alone his family.

 

"This place is the nightmare. I love our house. It's got soul." Violet gave her mother a grin, "It's where you, Teddy and I kicked some ass, Mom. You say we were victims of something bad there. I say that's a place where we survived."

 

"I love that you see it that way." Vivien gave her a small smile, "I'm pregnant. I can't stay there. This is the decision that your father and I have made for our family, together."

 

Violet frowned and glanced away in annoyance, "Yeah, whatever. But I'm telling you. You go ahead with this whacked-out plan, and I'm out of here." Violet looked dead serious and Teddy stared in shock at his sister, "I will run away. And believe me - I know how to leave so you will never find me." Violet stomped off and slammed the door behind her as she left.

 

Teddy looked at where his sister had stood in shock, thinking, _What the hell, Vi? Why would you say that to mom? Whats gotten into you?_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end of Murder house (not the story, the chapter). Man, I'm on a roll! Four updates in 24 hours, That's a new record for me! This was the shortest as there wasn't really a lot for Teddy to do in this episode, and most of Tate's scene's were short or very brief.


	10. Halloween (part one)

"Teddy?" Teddy's mother asked, knocking on his bedroom door and opening the door to his bedroom, poking her head in.

 

Teddy glanced up from the homework he was currently working on to ask, "Yeah?" He paused the music playing on his iPod and lowered his headphones around his slender neck, "What's up?"

 

Vivien opened the door further and stepped in, giving him a small smile, "Do you think we could borrow you downstairs for a while? To help set up the decorations?" 

 

"Yeah, sure." Teddy took his headphones off and put them on top of his notebooks next to his iPod, "What do you need me to do?" Getting up off of his bed, Teddy made his way over to his mom was standing.

 

"Could you help set up some of the decorations?" Vivien asked him, holding a few unlit candles sticks in her hand, walking down the hall and down the stairs, "I also need someone to carve the pumpkins too. You might have to go and buy some from the store, I don't think your father got any."

 

"I can do that." Teddy agreed, nodding his head. 

 

"Thank you sweetheart." Vivien gave him a thankful smile.

 

Teddy followed behind his mom and into the dinning hall. Vivien stopped in front of him - and Teddy had to catch himself so he wouldn't trample her over - and stared in surprise at their housekeeper, Moira, who was sitting at the table humming softly and cutting a pumpkin with a pleased smile. A bunch of pumpkins surrounded her on the dinning table, not carved yet. They looked good too - no marks or sign that the pumpkins were old or bruised, a healthy orange color that made them look brand new.

 

"Did Marcy bring these pumpkins?" Vivien asked, looking at her pumpkin in wonder.

 

"Yes." Moira said easily, still carving her pumpkin.

 

"Oh, that's nice." Vivien told her with a smile, turning around to place the candles in the candle holders.

 

"You did an amazing job." Teddy complimented her, grinning at the older woman when she shot him a smile of her own. "It looks really scary."

 

"Thank you, dear." Moira put down the kitchen knife to admire her work. "I enjoy crafts."

 

Moira stopped and directed a question at Vivien, "Mrs. Harmon, a question." Vivien turned toward her with a hum, "May I have Halloween off? I'd like to visit with my mother."

 

"Of course." Vivien nodded, giving Moira a soft look.

 

Teddy sat down next to Moira and picked up a pumpkin, admiring it and thinking of scary ideas to carve into it. He could go with the easy route and just make triangle eyes and jagged teeth - like Moira had down to hers - but he wanted to do something a little different then the typical pumpkins you would see in everybody's yard. Maybe Teddy could sculpt a few with the chisels he found in the basement - courtesy of Tate - and draw a few designs of iconic horror movie characters like Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers, Freddy Krueger, and Chucky and Tiffany.

 

"Done." Moira said, breaking Teddy out of his thoughts. Moira placed the top of the pumpkins 'hat' - as Ben liked to call it - and stood up.

 

His mother walked over to their housekeeper and picked up her pumpkin to admire her work, gently turning the pumpkin over in her hands, "I'll put that one outside." Vivien told her. After his mom had left the room, Moira gave Teddy a brief smile before leaving too - probably to clean some other part of the house.

 

Teddy sighed and looked over at the pumpkins mournfully, he had his work cut out for him, didn't he?

 

* * *

 

 

Apparently he didn't have to do much as Marcy - their realtor - had invited fluffers over to help with the decorating. Their names were Chad and Patrick, and they were very obviously gay. Teddy had been a little shocked to learn they were married, as the two seemed to ignore each other and give one another short and clipped sentences towards their partner.

 

He liked Chad more than he did Patrick, as Chad didn't stare at him like wanted to toss Teddy up against a wall and fuck his brains out like Patrick did; who kept giving him _looks_. The look reminded Teddy a little of the man from That Night and made him vastly uncomfortable.

 

Teddy wasn't stupid, he knew when someone was interested in him and the blonde clearly was. Teddy wasn't interested though, he had his own blonde, he didn't need or want another one. Chad seemed to understand that he wasn't interested in his spouse and had shot Patrick a dirty look before directing Teddy to sit between him and Teddy's mother, Vivien. Teddy had sent the older male a weak smile and immediately sitting down.

 

Chad dressed like he was about to go to a country club with his button up and polo shirt tied around his shoulders. He was dramatic and sassy and full of it. And Teddy loved it. He had laughed more in the ten minutes he known the other dark haired man then he had in awhile - he couldn't help it! The man was full of sarcastic and cutting remarks, Teddy had even giggled a little when Chad had dragged his father's cutting skills.

 

Patrick dressed like he lived and breathed the gym. He wore sports tank tops and pants made for jogging and doing exercise. Teddy couldn't relate, he was more of an indoor person - not that he didn't like the outdoors, he did -  he just preferred to not exercise, like, _ever_.

 

"This is actually kind of fun." Ben spoke up, looking excited as he carved his pumpkin, "I never got to do this when I was a kid."

 

"Why not?" Chad questioned, giving him a bored look.

 

"So this is what you guys do for a living." Viven cut in quickly, seeing Ben go quiet, "That is amazing to me. And wonderful, you know. I think style is so important."  


 

 _Oh my god, mom, please stop._ Teddy thought, carefully sculpting a design of Freddy Krueger from the outline he had drawn on the pumpkin earlier with a chisel. 

 

"It's everything." Chad told her, his face unreadable as he carved his own pumpkin. 

 

Patrick snorted at what he said with a smirk.

 

Teddy frowned at the older man in bemusement, narrowing his eyes at him. What the hell was this dude's problem? Why was he being such a little bitch towards Chad. Teddy might not know them or their relationship but it didn't take a genius to figure out that Chad was more into their relationship with Patrick then the other man was.

 

"It's so great that I get to help you guys have the best Halloween ever." Chad told them with a tight smile, almost slamming his chisel down next to Teddy who flinched at the sudden movement, "I _love_ Halloween." Chad continued, standing up and picking up his glass of champagne that Vivien had given him.

 

Chad slowly made his way over to his husband with a sardonic smile - that was more of a smirk than anything - and said, "So does Patrick. Because the bars are just awash in twinks with six packs in revealing outfits. Isn't that right, Pat?"

 

The Harmons we're quiet and awkwardly cutting into their pumpkins, watching the exchange wide-eyed. Teddy slowly shaved a piece of pumpkin skin off without taking his brown eyes off of the couple.

 

"The Abby, the 'O' Bar, Rage." Chad continued, smiling sweetly at Patrick, who was frowning now and looking uncomfortable - Teddy relished the look on the mans face - and pissed, "That's where he was last year instead of helping me with the trick-or-treaters." Chad took a huge gulp of his drink, downing the whole glass.

 

"Have another drink, dear." Patrick said sarcastically. Patrick turned to them with an apologetic look on his face, "Crafting brings out his inner George and Martha."

 

Teddy just raised an eyebrow at him before going back to shaving away at his pumpkin, blatantly ignoring Patrick's eye on him.

 

"So, in addition to Halloween night and making everything look inviting, which I get do you guys have any other suggestions for what we might do to the house to make it sell faster?" Viven asked, breaking the brief pause in the room.

 

"Actually, yes." Chad spoke, walking over to the kitchen window and looking at the gazebo Ben had finished making, "The gazebo's got to go. The lattice is wrong." 

 

 _What's a lattice?_ Teddy wondered. _Is that some math thing?_

 

"I agree." Patrick agreed, nodding his head.

 

 _No one asked you, asshole._ Teddy thought vindictively.

 

"Oh, no, we just put it in." Vivien said, looking sadly at the white gazebo in the backyard.

 

"Did you put that gazebo in yourself, Ben?" Chad asked, leaning against the kitchen sink.

 

"Yes." Ben answered him, looking slightly annoyed by what Chad had just told them. There was something else in his eyes that made Teddy hesitate; it looked like fear.

 

"Well, let's get through tomorrow night and then we can tear it down and put in an organic cutting garden." Chad looked at Ben knowingly the whole time he spoke, gauging his reaction and smirking a little when Ben looked away.

 

Teddy jumped when his father let out a yelp of pain, almost stabbing his pumpkin.

 

"Oh, shit!" Ben exclaimed, holding his hand up as blood dripped from his fingers. 

 

"Oh, my God." Vivien whispered, trying to grab Ben's hand. 

 

"Let me see." Patrick said, subtly pushing Vivien out of the way and grabbing Ben's wrist to look at the cut.

 

"I'm gonna need stitches." Ben said a little dramatically in Teddy's opinion. Teddy had gotten the shit beaten out of him by two huge jocks and hadn't needed to go to the hospital, if he could survive that and not have to got to there, then his dad could survive a small cut on his finger.

 

"No, it's okay. I can fix this up." Patrick assured him.

 

Giving him a suspicious glare, Teddy asked, "Oh, really?"

 

"Pat's an E.M.T." Chad spoke up with a chuckle, giving his husband a dry look.

 

"Oh, I thought you were a fluffer." Vivien said in confusion.

 

"You're hilarious, Vivien." Chad told her, "I love that hair color. I can barely see any root."

 

Did Chad just subtly insult his mom? Whoa, okay.

 

"It's my natural hair color." Vivien replied proudly.

 

"Where's your first aid kit?" Patrick asked, bringing everyone's attention back to the matter at hand.

 

"Upstairs." Teddy told him, rolling his eyes. He didn't look back up and tried to finish his pumpkin as fast as possible - he had enough excitement for today. 

 

* * *

 

 

After a few minutes, Teddy had finally finished his pumpkin.

 

He showed it to his mother who smiled brightly, "Wow, Teddy! This is amazing. It looks so real."

 

"Thanks mom." Teddy's cheeks felt warm at the praise.

 

"Not bad, kid." Chad said, eyeing his pumpkin. "It's really good."

 

"Thanks." Teddy smiled at him.

 

Chad hummed, "Are you into art?"

 

"Yes." Vivien cut in, looking proudly at her son, "He was offered a scholarship to an Art School back in Boston a few years ago...he didn't go though."

 

"Oh?" Chad looked up form his carving, interested, "Why not?"

 

Teddy licked his lips and said quietly, "We moved here and some - some stuff happened and I wasn't able to go."

 

His mother looked away, her eyes sad, remembering why they had to move in the first place. After losing the baby and then Ben cheating on her with his student, she hadn't had time to deal with what had happened in Boston with Teddy. The reason he lost his scholarship.

 

Teddy didn't blame her for not noticing until it was to late, until he was laying in a hospital after an accidental overdose on painkillers and alcohol he gotten from a friend back in their old home.  His name was Matt and he was in his final year of high school, and he had thrown a party at his house for the last day of school. It was a party for older students and Teddy had gotten invited by Matt, the boy he had liked a lot. Teddy had been a freshman at the time and was so excited to go to a party full of older kids - the cool kids - and to hang out with the boy he had a crush on.

 

Matt had given him pressed Teddy into taking a few pills and had gotten him drunk. They had taken a couple of hits off a joint and then Teddy had blacked out. He doesn't remember what happened after that - everything had gone fuzzy - but he remembered waking up in a hospital bed with his mother sitting in a chair next to him, looking like she had cried all night. And she probably did. Teddy had been grounded and wasn't aloud to leave the house for months afterward, not that he really minded.

 

But after that night, Teddy had gotten involved with the same drugs that had almost taken his life, needing something to take the edge off. He needed the colorful pills - and weed - even more after his mother's miscarriage and his father's betrayal. He needed something, _anything_ , to help him continue forward with his life and pretend that everything was okay. 

 

The Art School had found out, _somehow_ , and had taken his scholarship back - claiming that they couldn't take in a student who experimented with drugs or alcohol, they couldn't have their name dragged through the mud because of one student. Teddy hadn't been really all that broken up about it, but parents had been furious and threatened to sue the school. Teddy had put his foot down on that and told his parents bluntly that he hadn't even wanted to go in the first place.

 

His parents had been reluctant, but had eventually let it go. And so the Harmons moved on with their lives, and a few years later, they were here, living in Los Angeles and living in the Murder House - about to move _again_.

 

"Can I go?" Teddy asked suddenly, already standing up and grabbing his pumpkin.

 

"Yes, of course." Vivien said softly.

 

"Thanks." Teddy muttered, making his way outside and putting the pumpkin on the front porch. "It was nice meeting you, Chad."

 

Chad side eyed him as he left, and nodded in goodbye, "It was nice to meet you too, Teddy."

 


	11. Halloween (part two)

After getting a note that was left on his bed from Tate,  _Meet me in the basement at midnight xoxo_ , Teddy made his way into the basement where the blonde had told him to meet him. The steps creaked under his weight from every step he took down.

 

There was barely in light and it was eerily silent - and that made the basement even  _more_  scarier then usual - it was so silent that you could hear a pen drop.

 

After what happened the last time he was in the basement, Teddy was reluctant to go in there. But Tate was waiting for him and Teddy didn't want to disappoint his - friend? Crush? Lover? What  _were_  they exactly? Friends who flirted with each other, who almost kissed? Teddy didn't really know at this point.

 

He wouldn't have minded if Tate said yes, of course he wouldn't be, Tate was gorgeous with his angelic face and his pretty dark brown, almost black, eyes.

 

If they were going to date, then Teddy would at least like to go somewhere that  _wasn't_  his house. Leah and Violet were always going on dates; to the movies, at cafes, their favorite bookstore, ect. Teddy wasn't going to lie, he was jealous of his sister's relationship. It was hard  _not_  to be jealous. The two seemed so in sync with each other and obviously really liked each other, always smiling and touching one another.

 

Violet was so happy and Teddy was happy  _for_  her - he was, really. He just wished he and Tate had a relationship like theirs. He wished Tate would just say if he really was into Teddy as much as the dark haired boy was into him, no more playing around and hesitating.

 

You know what, Teddy was going to be brave and ask the blonde, point blank, if he wanted to go on a date with him. They might as well be a couple at this point; they certainly acted like it.

 

"Tate?" Teddy whispered, "Tate, you asked to meet at midnight?"

 

Silence.

 

Did Teddy read the note wrong? Was he supposed to come later or something? Teddy reached the bottom of the steps and looked around with his lips pursed, trying to see where Tate could be. Was Tate fucking with him? Where the hell was he?

 

"Tate," Teddy spoke again, "Come out, come out, wherever you are."

 

Nothing but silence.

 

Frowning, Teddy turned around and let out a scream when he saw a figure standing in front of him wearing all black - from head to toe. Fear flooded and paralyzed him as his worst nightmare came true, it was the rapist. But, Tate killed him - Teddy had seen his corpse laying bloodied on his bedroom floor, so how was he here? And why was he wearing The S&M suit his dad had thrown away months ago? Shit. Had those bastards been stalking his family for that long, for months? Since the day they moved in?

 

Staring wide eyed at the figure, Teddy opened his mouth to scream out for his parents. The figure must have sensed this because he clasped his gloved hand over Teddy's mouth to silence him and shoved him up against the railing of the stairs. 

 

Teddy struggled, trying to shove the man off, elbowing the other man in the gut harshly. The masked figure let out a grunt and let go - and then he began to laugh. Teddy knew that laugh.

 

"You asshole!" Teddy exclaimed, shoving Tate off of him angrily. "What the hell is wrong with you?!" 

 

Tate continued to laugh as he unzipped the mask of the black latex suit and said gleefully, "I  _scared_  you." 

 

"Of course you did." Teddy hissed at him. "Where did you even get that? My dad threw it out months ago." 

 

"Finders keepers." Was all Tate said, leaning in close to his face. 

 

Teddy inhaled, looking into Tate's eyes as the blonde got closer, "What are you doing?" He raised his hands up to rest on Tate's broad shoulders - not to push him away or pull him close, just resting them there.

 

"What do you think I'm doing?" Tate was so close to him now, he could feel his breath mingling with his own. "I'm going to kiss you," Tate glanced down at his mouth in a silent question, "Okay?"

 

"Okay." Teddy agreed quietly, glancing at Tate's plush pink mouth and fluttering his eyes close.

 

Teddy gasped softly when he felt Tate's press their mouths together gently - the other boy's lips were cooler then his own and surprisingly soft. He leaned up to press their mouths together firmly, grasping Tate's shoulders and using them to help him balance. Tate was about the same height as Teddy, but had a broader frame then his own slender one.

 

Teddy slid his hands into Tate's blonde locks, gripping it on accidentally and paused when he heard Tate let out a soft moan. It wasn't a pained moan, it was one full of pleasure. Teddy swallowed, feeling arousal stir in his lower belly, before doing it again and making his grip a little tighter. He tugged and was rewarded with another moan and Tate pressing him up against the stairs, gripping his waist tightly.

 

Just as the kiss started to get more heated, Tate pulled away, looking mournfully at lips as he did so, "I want to show you something." 

 

Teddy leaned against the stairs, catching his breath - both from Tate scaring the hell out of him and the kiss. God, Tate was a good kisser.

 

"What is it?" Teddy asked. 

 

Tate just grinned.

 

* * *

 

 

"A Ouija board?" Teddy gave him an unimpressed look, crossing his arms. " _That's_  what you wanted to show me?"

 

"You have to put your fingers on the other side." Tate told him as he sat up the board and lit a few candles dramatically.

 

Teddy rolled his eyes, sitting cross legged across from the blonde. "This is stupid."

 

"You don't believe in ghosts?" Tate asked him, moving a candle near Teddy and away from the board game.

 

"I do actually." Teddy told him bluntly, "I've seen way to many horror movies to not believe in them."

 

Tate smirked at him in amusement, "Well then, Charles is gonna answer all your questions. He used to live here."

 

"Oh, really?" Teddy raised an eyebrow in amusement, "Is he gonna tell me what's in this basement?" Tate stopped what he was doing and frowned at him, "I want the truth, Tate."

 

"What I'm about to tell you might scare you to death." Tate ignored his demand and continued, "Dr. Charles Montgomery built this house. And here, in this basement, is where he worked. Charles was a doctor to the stars. But he was also a drug addict. His wife, Nora, wasn't gonna let that get in the way of her lifestyle. So she set up a little secret side business."

 

"And he set up a little clinic down here and helped girls who didn't want to be in trouble anymore." Teddy cut in with an eye roll, remembering Stan the tour guide rambling on about this, "I know Tate, I was on the tour."

 

"What tour?" Tate questioned looking confused. 

 

"The Eternal Darkness tour," Teddy told him, watching the flames flicker in Tate dark eyes hypnotized, "I went on it with my mom awhile ago."

 

Tate frowned at Teddy, "Did you stay and listen to the whole thing?"

 

When Teddy shook his head no, Tate smiled in satisfaction and carried on with his story, "It went on and on until, one day one girl couldn't keep the secret to herself and she told her boyfriend what happened." Tate paused for dramatic effect, "The boyfriend wanted revenge, so he kidnapped Charles and Nora's baby. Terrified, the doctor and his wife waited for the ransom demands."

 

Teddy sat up in interest, hanging onto every word that came out of Tate's mouth intently. The next words that Tate said made Teddy feel sick to his stomach, "One day the police showed up at the Montgomery's with a box. Charles - who had been the one to answer the door - opened it to reveal the mutilated body of his dead son." 

 

"Oh my god," Teddy stared at Tate, his mouth parting in shock, "Holy shit."

 

Tate nodded, his eyes gleaming, and continued to tell the story, "Driven insane by grief the doctor used all his experience and surgical skills to try and cheat death. But what he created was ungodly and monstrous. And even after their tragic end that thing remained down here to this day." Tate ended, looking serious.

 

"Oh my god." Teddy repeated, staring wide eyed at him. "That definitely wasn't on the tour."

 

Tate cracked a smile at him and Teddy smiled back, looking around the basement cautiously, "It's not still down here, is it?"

 

"What?" Tate tilted his head, "Is what still down here?"

 

Teddy frowned at him, "That - that  _thing_  that attacked Amber." Teddy pulled his knees up to his chest.

 

"That was a prank, Teddy." Tate told him gently, giving him a pitying look, "It was a trick of the lighting."

 

"No, it wasn't." Teddy protested, sitting up straight and shooting a look at the blonde, "I know what I saw, Tate." Teddy took a in a breath and gave him a serious look, "Just like I know what you did to those bastards who broke into my house." 

 

Tate looked startled, something flashing in his eyes to fast for Teddy to read it, "I killed the guy who tried to rape  _you_."

 

"I know. I was there." Teddy muttered, tightening his fists, "I'm talking about the others. Are they-are they going to come back?"

 

"You don't have to worry about them anymore." Tate pursed his lips together, his eyes gleaming and looked straight at Teddy when he told him, "I took care of them." 

 

The room got colder suddenly and it was quiet, Tate staring intently at him unblinking. Teddy stared back in silence, gauging his face for something that he didn't even know he was looking for. Dark eyes continued to watch him intensely and Teddy blinked breaking the eye contact, and stood up. He walked over to Tate and told him what he had been planing to tell him all night.

 

"I don't want to meet here anymore, " Teddy said in a serious tone, looking at Tate imploring. The basement got colder, "I want to go on a date with you. And not in my house, I'm tired of always hanging out here. I want to go out somewhere."

 

"Okay," Tate nodded, standing up with a small grin, "Tomorrow night. We'll go out." Tate grabbed his wrists soothingly, rubbing the small scar that was there from their first meeting. They both looked up when they heard footsteps walking around upstairs, "Your father agreed to see me again, but I'm not supposed to be here." 

 

"Come on," Shaking his head in amusement Teddy led him up the steps, holding his hand, "I'll be your lookout."

 

* * *

 

 

Teddy sighed as he placed the,  _Take One_ , sign on top of the bowl of candy and holding the paper with tape.  Teddy had been in the middle of showering when he heard his mothering crying out in agony downstairs and Teddy had wrapped a towel around his waist without thinking, racing to his mother's voice in a panic. His mother had been clutching her abdomen in pain and his father had been helping her outside to the car telling them - him and Violet - not to answer the door, before they left. 

 

Which was confusing as it was Halloween night and there was sure to be a lot of kids ringing the doorbell for candy. Violet had come up with the  _brilliant_  plan to put a sign out and let the kids fight over the candy. Teddy had agreed to it as he was to busy to hand out candy - he was getting ready for his date with Tate later.

 

Violet was upstairs probably listening to her iPod on blast and reading her manga, pretending she was alone. Which was fine with Teddy, as long as she didn't answer the door everything was going to be fine.

 

Teddy shut the door behind him and made sure to lock it. He made his way upstairs to his room to change into something other then his bathrobe. His hair had already dried by now and was a mess of black curls. Tate liked his hair when it was curly and would always play with a strand when he could, so Teddy didn't bother brushing his hair or trying to flatten his curls.

 

He was on a mission to impress Tate and look good for his first date, ever. Teddy had never been on a date before and he was a virgin - sure, he had made out with a few guys and had given a friend a hand job once but that was as far as his sexual experience went - and he wanted it to be perfect. Tate wasn't like the other guys he had met - he wasn't trying to get into Teddy's pants or after something the dark haired boy could give him - he genuinely seemed to like Teddy and Teddy liked him too.

 

Tate had saved him and his family and had kept him safe the night of the break in, holding him tightly and not letting go until he had to. Teddy had never felt more safe in his life then he had with Tate's arms wrapped securely around him.

 

Sure, Tate was odd and sometimes gave off weird vibes, but he was a good guy. And he was funny and sweet and protective, all in all, he was the perfect boyfriend. The kind your dad would warm up to eventually and your mother would love to have over for dinner. Tate had already done the last one, scoring an invite to the Harmons dinner table whenever he wanted. He was slowly doing the first one, if Teddy had heard correctly. 

 

Closing the door behind him, Teddy walked over to his closet and looked for something to wear. He decided on his favorite black jeans - that hugged his ass - and his favorite over-sized black sweater. He slid on his bracelets and his skull rings after changing into his clothes, and slipped on his black vans. 

 

Satisfied with his look, Teddy slid his phone in his back pocket and walked downstairs just in time to hear someone ringing the doorbell on repeat, banging on the door and a man's voice yelling, "I want my damn money!" 

 

Teddy slowly made his way over to the front door and grabbed the closet thing to him - which was a small porcelain vase. He gripped the handle of the vase tightly, looking at the door fearfully. It was a man's voice and he had never heard it before. Was it a drunk who had stumbled on their door on accident? Teddy seriously doubted it.

 

"Goddamn it, Ben!" The man yelled, banging on the door harder, "I want my money! I am not leaving here till I have my thousand dollars!"

 

"Who is that?" Violet asked, looking fearfully at the door.

 

Teddy shushed her quietly, walking over to the peep hole in the door and opening the tiny little slot. An older man stood on their front porch, half of his face and body was burnt badly and his hair was signed, and bald in multiple places. 

 

"Ben Harmon!" The man yelled again, raising his good hand and ringing the doorbell again, "Ben Harmon! I am not leaving here till I have my thousand dollars!"

 

What the hell was he going on about? Why did this man think Teddy's dad owed him a thousand dollars? Was he a patient of his dad's and just wanted his money back? But why a thousand dollars? His dad only charged a minimum of at least a hundred, give or take. 

 

"Who is it?" Violet asked softly, creeping down the steps as quietly as possible. 

 

"I don't know." Teddy whispered back, staring in shock as the man scared a bunch of kids away and threw the bowl full of candy at them in anger. "I think it's one of dad's patients." Teddy took his phone out of his back pocket hurriedly and handed it to Violet, "Call dad."

 

"Okay." Violet quickly dialed their father's number. "Come on, come on." Violet repeated as the phone continued to ring.

 

Teddy took a step back from the door and closed the peep hole softly - trying not to make any noise. He didn't want the man to know that he and Violet were home. If he was angry enough to be banging at the door and scaring little kids off, who knows what he would do to them. And Teddy wasn't going to chance anything happening to him or his sister tonight.

 

"There's some freaky dude at the door screaming about money. I think he might be one of your patients.  Should I call the cops?" Violet ran a hand through her hand nervously, as she listened in on the phone. "Is it locked?" Violet asked suddenly, looking at him.

 

"Yeah."

 

"Yeah." Violet repeated in the phone.

 

Teddy jumped away from the door as quick as possible when he heard the man speak up, "I know you're in there. Is that your daughter?" He hadn't even noticed the man go quiet to busy watching Violet talk on the phone.

 

Violet grabbed his hand and squeezed, her brown eyes scared. He squeezed back, pulling her toward him and edging away from the door. 

 

The two didn't notice the figure behind them, watching them intently. 


	12. Halloween (part three)

Teddy bit his lip as the man stopped banging on the door and ringing the bell. He let out a sigh of relief when he looked through the peep hole again and saw the man was gone.

 

"He's gone now." Teddy told Violet calmly, making sure the door was locked again, "Go up to your room until mom and dad come home."

 

Violet bit her lip and looked at the front door, unsure, "Are you sure he's gone?"

 

"Yeah," Teddy nodded his head, "But in case he comes back, we should go upstairs and lock ourselves in our rooms." Teddy put the vase down and walked toward Violet and up the stairs, "You have your phone in your room, right?" 

 

"Yeah," Violet answered, walking in front of him, "It's charged."

 

"Good. Keep it on you at all times, okay?" Teddy told her.

 

"I will." Violet told him, rolling her eyes fondly, "You sound like mom."

 

"Gee, thanks, Vi." Teddy said sarcastically, stopping in front of his sisters bedroom. 

 

"You're welcome, Ted." Violet said, using the nickname their grandfather used to call him. Teddy hated being called Ted, it made him sound like a middle aged man whose wife left him for the young pool boy.

 

Violet paused and looked him up and down critically, raising an eyebrow, "Are you going somewhere?"

 

Teddy nodded in acknowledgment, putting his phone in his back pocket and keeping his hand there, "Yeah. I'm seeing Tate later."

 

"Oh," Violet opened her door slightly and smirked, her brown eyes gleaming with amusement, "He finally asked you on a date?"

 

"For your information," Teddy began looking at her with a smug smile, "I asked him first."

 

"Seriously?" Violet asked in disbelief.

 

"What's that supposed to mean?" Teddy demanded, feeling slightly offended. 

 

Violet shook her head with a small smirk, opening the door wider and walking through, "Goodnight Teddy." She paused to add, "Have fun on your date." Before shutting the door in his face.

 

"What's that supposed to mean?" Teddy asked again, knocking on her door, "Violet! Violet!" His sister continued to ignore him, and Teddy sighed, "Fine. Ignore me then. Just make sure to lock your door and don't open the front door, okay." Silence. Teddy huffed and walked into his bedroom.

 

Sitting on his bed Teddy put his head in hand with a frustrated sigh, still feeling the anxiety and adrenaline of fear. Even after his lighthearted conversation with his sister he still felt a little bad about leaving her here alone. He knew his parents were on their way home and his mother would run out of the hospital bed like a bat out of hell to make sure they were okay and safe, so he wasn't worried about her being home alone for very long.

 

But still. Teddy didn't want to leave her home alone. What if the man came back and they weren't home yet? Violet would get hurt, again. And this time it would be all his fault. Maybe Teddy should call Leah and ask the girl to come over and stay with Violet. 

 

_Tap._

 

_Tap._

 

_Tap._

 

Teddy looked up at the tapping noise coming from his window. He stood up and cautiously made his way over, moving his black curtains out of the way and looking for the source of the noise. He slowly opened the window and stuck his head out, looking around. He caught sight of a silhouette standing below him.

 

It was Tate, standing under his window and throwing small rocks. Teddy was suddenly reminded of Romeo and flushed when he realized that that made him Juliet. He had no problems being the girl in their relationship, he just didn't want it to be so obvious that he was the bottom.

 

Teddy had no doubt in his mind that when they were to finally have sex - and they would - he would be on the receiving end.  He didn't really mind, Teddy had seen the tent in Tate jeans and if his measurement was right - god, he hoped so - Tate was _big_.

 

Tate waved with a grin and mouthed, "Basement." 

 

Seriously? That damn basement again. What was Tate's fascination with it? It was old, freezing and always had a bad odor like there was a dead animal in there - and Teddy didn't doubt it. 

 

Teddy gave him a nod in agreement and smiled back before shutting the window and locking it.

 

* * *

 

 

"Tate?" Teddy walked down the basement steps quickly, Violet following behind him.  He had made a last minute decision to take Violet with him when he left with Tate - so she could hang out with Leah. 

 

He let out a sigh of relief and wrapped his arms tightly around Tate's shoulders as the blonde emerged from the darkness of the basement. Teddy was thankful he had decided on wearing his over-sized leather jacket when he felt the cold air hit his face soothingly.

 

"Oh, it's been insane here. First, the cops were outside." Teddy told him, breathing in Tate's scent as he held him tightly, "Then some freak started banging on the door, screaming about money." 

 

"Hey, hey." Tate let him go and gave him a comforting look, "Shit like that does tend to go down on Halloween. Probably just asshole kids." Tate stroked his hands softly, his thumb ring cool against Teddy's warm skin. "It's fine now. I'm here."

 

Teddy gave him a weak smile, not noticing his sister looking away awkwardly and leaning against the staircase, "You're probably right." He agreed. The blonde smiled back, holding something behind his back. Teddy gave him a curious look.

 

"I got you something." Tate said, his eyes warmer and lighter then normal. Tate pulled his hand out from behind his back and showed him a rose. It was black and had the thorn cuts off. "I painted it black. I know how you much you like the color black." He eyed Teddy's outfit in amusement as he held the rose out.

 

Teddy took the black rose from him and laughed, "You're the first boy to ever give me a flower. Thank you." He twirled the rose around in hands, admiring it. "I love it."

 

"You ready to go on our date?" Tate asked, smiling sweetly at him. He looked excited and Teddy smiled at him in amusement feeling just as ecstatic.

 

"Yeah." Teddy suddenly remembered the teenage girl glowering at his back when she cleared her throat in annoyance. Tate blinked and turned to her in confusion. He gave Teddy a questioning look. "Um, Can we make a detour on the way? I need to go to Leah's."

 

"Whose Leah?" Tate frowned with a strange look on his face, his eyes getting dark suddenly. 

 

"She's my girlfriend." Violet spoke up behind them, rolling her eyes at the look in Tate's eyes. "I'm going to her while the two of you go on your _date_."

 

"Violet." Teddy warned her, seeing the annoyance flash in Tate's eyes. He smiled sweetly at the blonde, fluttering his long eyelashes, "You don't mind do you, Tate?"

 

"Of course not." Tate smiled and looked at Violet straight in the eyes, talking to Teddy, "I'd do anything for you, Teddy."

 

Violet shuddered and looked away with a frown, the look in Tate's eyes making her uncomfortable.

 

Teddy frowned and shot a worried look at her, "You okay, Vi?"

 

"Yeah," Violet swallowed, crossing her arms and putting on her typical angst y teenage look, "Can we leave already? This places gives me the creeps."

 

"I thought you liked creepy things?" Teddy joked, stroking a black petal on his rose absentmindedly.

 

Violet gave him a closed mouth smile - it didn't reach her eyes - and said, "Not all creepy stuff." Her eyes were directed at something over his shoulder, her eyes narrowed in a protective glower.

 

* * *

 

 

"Hey," Teddy called over his shoulder at Tate, who was goofing off on the lifeguard tower, with a laugh, "I'm going to call my mom real quick." He dialed the number he knew by heart at this point and rested against his ear.

 

The phone rang for two seconds before his mom picked up and said in a panicked voice, "Teddy, where are you?" 

 

Teddy felt guilt pool in his stomach when he heard the fear in her voice. He raised his knees to his chest and apologized, "I'm sorry." Teddy sighed, "I should've called you earlier. I just got caught up with Tate."

 

"Are you safe?" Vivien asked, sounding relieved. "Tate, huh? Is that the boy you wanted to invite over for dinner?"

 

"Yeah." Teddy glanced over his shoulder and laughed when he saw Tate recreating the iconic Rose and Jack scene from Titanic.

 

"Are you having fun?" Vivien asked and Teddy could here the smile in her voice.

 

"Yeah. I'm having fun." Teddy smiled in Tate's direction, his eyes and voice soft.

 

"What happened with the guy who was banging on the door?"

 

"I don't know." Teddy shrugged knowing his mother couldn't see. "He left after he heard Violet calling you."

 

"Where is your sister?" Vivien questioned.

 

"Relax mom," Teddy told her gently, "I took her to Leah's house. Violet said she'll call you later to pick her up." His mom sighed through the phone, sounding exhausted.

 

There was a brief silence and Teddy ran his hand through the sand surrounding him, letting it fall through his fingers like rain. He heard him before he saw him, Tate plopped himself next to Teddy and started to kiss at his neck. Teddy moved his neck to the side letting Tate kiss the skin there softly, his lips cool from the October air, and shuddered.

 

"I want you home in an hour." His mom finally spoke up. 

 

"Okay." Teddy said in agreement. Tate pushed him down on the sand, moving on top and leaning down to kiss him. "Bye." He told her quickly, trying not to moan as Tate moved his sweater down his shoulder and started to mouth at the spot where his shoulder met his neck.

 

"Love you." Vivien told him, her voice soft.

 

"Love you too." Teddy told her and hung up, slipping his phone in his jacket pocket. 

 

Tate mumbled into his neck, his voice slightly muffled but clear all the same, "You really love your mom, huh?" Teddy raised an eyebrow wondering why he was bringing this up when they were in the middle of being intimate, but nodded anyway. "Are the two of you close?" Tate prodded, pulling back to look him in the eyes. 

 

Frowning at him, Teddy leaned back on his elbows, "Yeah. She's my mom, of course were close."

 

"But you don't seem as close to you dad as you do with your mom." Tate eyed his shoulder when his sweater started to slip down more, revealing smooth and pale skin, with clear arousal. Teddy watched in fascination as his dark eyes got darker and turned a pitch black color.

 

"Well, yeah. I've always been close with my mom." At Tate's encouraging look Teddy continued with a halfhearted shrug, "I'm her first born - her baby boy. My dad's favorite has always been Violet." Teddy shook his head, "Why are we even talking about my relationship with my parents anyway?"

 

"Just asking." Tate raised his hands in defense, his faced pulled into a innocent smile. "I want to get to know you more."

 

"There's not a lot to know about me." Teddy laid back in the sand and looked at the stars in the sky, figuring that his make out with Tate was over. "I'm an open book."

 

Tate laid down next to him, moving Teddy so his head was resting against his heart and wrapped his arms around him. Teddy frowned when he heard the soft and barely there thump of his beating heart, but shrugged it off. 

 

"I can barely read you sometimes," Tate told him, sounding frustrated.

 

"Isn't that a good thing, though?" Teddy asked, cuddling closer to Tate and brushing sand off his jacket, "Wouldn't it get boring if you knew every single thing about me? Where's the fun in that."

 

Tate hummed in answer, nodding his head silently. "You're right."

 

"Of course I am." Teddy told him, leaning up to press their mouths together. He pulled away and muttered, "I'm fucking cold." 

 

 


	13. Halloween (part four)

The waves crashed softly a little ways away from them, hitting the shore and making a splash. The heat of the fire that Tate had handmade kept them warm as they laid on a blanket the blonde boy had brought.

 

Tate had really thought of everything for tonight, hadn't he? The thought made Teddy grin in happiness.

 

The two had made their way further down the beach and away from the lifeguard house to sit closer to the water, where Tate had laid a blanket out and gently led Teddy to sit on it. They had sat in silence just watching the waves hit the shore and resting against one another. Tate's arm had been wrapped around his shoulders, pulling him into his broader chest and Teddy had snuggled up to him with a smile, his cheeks warming - from the cold or something else, Teddy didn't know.

 

After awhile the two had started to kiss and then the small kiss had turned into Tate pushing him on the ground gently, pressing his slightly larger against Teddy's smaller one. Their kissing grew more intense and heated - Teddy gripping Tate's cardigan to pull the other boy closer and grounding against him, trying to get friction on his aching cock. 

 

Tate moaned softly and carefully slid his hand under Teddy's sweater to rub against his stomach, lightly scraping his nails against the dark haired boys smooth skin. Teddy hissed when the blonde pressed his nails down a little harder and left a stinging red trail on his stomach. But it was kind of hot and a spark of arousal shot through him. 

 

Teddy carefully slid his hands down the back of Tate's cardigan and moved his hands under the cardigan and then his shirt. He slid his hands up and down the other boys back in slow and precise movements, licking into Tate's mouth and moaning when their tongues met, and pulled him as close as he possibly could.

 

Tate relaxed into the kiss and slowly rolled his hips against the other boys, creating the friction they both wanted and craved. The two of them continued to make out and press against one another.

 

Moaning again, Teddy pulled his hands out from under Tate's shirt and slowly slid his hand down until he was cupping the blonde's cock and began rubbing his hand up and down. Tate grunted and rolled against his hand once, twice, three times and then he suddenly stopped and pulled away.

 

Teddy frowned in both confusion and hurt when he pulled away from him. He leaned up on elbow and asked worriedly, "What's wrong?"

 

"Nothing. I just-" Tate said, looking frustrated and unhappy suddenly. "I can't."

 

Feeling self conscious, Teddy looked away and pressed his lips into a thin line. Did Tate not want to have sex with him, anymore? Did Tate decide he wasn't interested in Teddy anymore? His eyes felt hot suddenly and Teddy realized he was moments away from crying. 

 

"Did-" Teddy asked his eyes teary, pressing his lips together tightly to stop any from escaping, "Did I do something wrong?"

 

This night was supposed to be fun and Teddy got to be on a date with a guy he really liked - and maybe finally lose his virginity to said guy. Instead his mother was rushed to the hospital, a crazy man was banging on his door and demanding to see his father, and now, Tate was rejecting him.

 

God, why did that hurt so bad? Was this what heartbreak felt like - if so, Teddy didn't want it.

 

"I just-" Tate started, trying to meet his eyes, "Teddy, I swear. I want to be with you so badly." Teddy finally looked at him, his eyes unreadable, "And that's never happened with me, with _anyone_. Much less a guy."

 

"Are you into someone else?" Teddy demanded with narrowed eyes, "Are you straight?"

 

"What? No!" Tate yelled defensively. He paused and asked hesitantly, "I'm bi. Is that a problem?"

 

"What?" Teddy shook his head furiously, "Of course not."

"I just-" Tate sat up and Teddy mirrored his actions, leaning away from the other boy. "Maybe it's those meds your dad gave me." Teddy frowned at him. He hadn't heard anything like that. His dad had been giving the blonde boy low doses of the meds and from what Teddy could tell, they wouldn't cause you to be unable to get erect. And Teddy had obviously felt the other boys arousal when his hand had been on Tate's crotch, stroking.

 

"They do that, you know." Tate added, his black eyes glowing as the fire burned in them.

 

Teddy gave him a searching look, looking deeply into Tate's dark eyes and getting lost in the pool of darkness. Why did that sound like a truth and a lie at the same time? How did Tate even manage to accomplish both at the same time. 

 

"I have to go home. My mom's waiting for me." Teddy stood up, having enough of Tate's lies and half truths - his arousal and lust for him gone by now. 

 

"No, no." Tate pleaded, grabbing his hand and gripping it tightly. Teddy barely managed to conceal a wince, "No, Teddy. I'm not ready to go. Not yet."

 

Teddy sighed and gave in - flopping back on the ground and sat next to him tiredly. He knew it was better to give in and let Tate win. He raised his knees up to his chest protectively and looked at the waves in a pointed stare, not glancing at the boy next to him.

 

Tate reached over to wrap his arm around him again, pulling Teddy close. The dark haired boy didn't fight him and just relaxed and stared at the water, his face puled into a flat expression.

 

It was silent for awhile, the waves crashing and getting louder. Teddy just stared at them silently, trying to not think and ignoring the thoughts in his head telling him he wasn't good enough and Tate didn't really like him.  _Tate was only using you,_ the voice warned, _He never truly liked you, it was all a lie._

 

"I used to come here when the world closed in and got so small I couldn't breathe." Tate spoke up suddenly, "I'd look out at the ocean, and I'd think 'Yo, douche bag. High school counts for jack shit.' Kurt Cobain Quentin Tarantino, Brando, De Niro, Pacino- all high school dropouts." Tate turned toward him with a grin.

 

Teddy's eyes softened a fraction and he gave Tate a small smile. Teddy understood the need to want to get away from everything and how much school sucked. He had not been in school for very long when he had gotten his ass beat within days of his arrival. 

 

Tate smiled back, before looking away and staring at the water with barely concealed hate as he said, "I hated high school." Teddy listened to him talk, leaning against Tate's shoulder, "So I'd come here and I'd look out at this vast, limitless expanse. And it's like, that's your life, man. You can do anything. You can be anything. Screw high school. That's- That's just a blip in your timeline. Don't get stuck there."

 

Teddy bit his lip, feeling sadness for Tate and his obvious pain as he talked about school. He agreed wholeheartedly with everything the boy said. 

 

"I won't." Teddy assured him, glancing up and gazed into Tate's eyes. "Screw high school."

 

Tate grinned and laughed quietly, "Screw high school." 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to be the last chapter for the Halloween episodes, but it's almost 1AM where I live and i'm really tired and exhausted from updating three chapters a day (sometimes more) and just want to get some sleep. I hope you enjoyed this chapter - even if it's probably full of grammatical errors and plot holes oops.


	14. Halloween (part five)

Teddy watched the flames in the fire pit as he lead against Tate's broader shoulder. After their conversation the two had went into a comfortable silence and just watched. Watched the water crash on the shore and on the large sharp pointy rocks sticking out in the distance near the shore line. Listened to the heavy roar and crash of the ocean hitting near them.

 

Teddy was quiet and didn't have anything to add to Tate's confession and the blonde didn't seem to mind his silence either. Tate was as quiet as him and had his arm wrapped protectively around Teddy's shoulders as if to keep him safe from the horrors of the world. From the monsters that might be lurking around, trying to get to the green eyed boy.

 

Teddy would have found it suffocating if he hadn't had a first hand experience to the monsters of the world - twice, might he add. First the monstrous looking thing in his basement and then the monsters that had broken into his house and tired to reenact some serial killer's crimes with his mother and sister. The monster that tried to rape him as his other friends tried to murder his family - the only family he had left that he actually gave a fuck about anymore.

 

Just thinking about it made Teddy feel rage and sorrow. If Tate hadn't been there - if Tate had been even a minute late - then the man would have succeeded in taking Teddy and his virginity, he would have killed him after too. And the others would have gotten away with the crime of killing his family for some ploy to reenact their favorite murderer's killing spree - adding there own little touch to it in the form of Teddy. 

 

Tate tightened his arm around him as if reading his mind and pulled Teddy closer to his body and the fire. Teddy let the other boy pull him closer and felt safer as the blonde held him tightly. Teddy paused when he heard a crack of a stick being broken behind him and turned his head cautiously in the direction of the snap.

 

In the distance and up the hill that Teddy and Tate had walked down to get to the beach, was the figures of people walking there way down the hill and toward the young couple.

 

"Tate?" Teddy began, staring cautiously at the silhouettes of the strangers, "Someone's coming over here." Tate glanced over in confusion before he froze up when he saw the figure's making their way over. Teddy frowned but his attention was diverted by the teenagers making their way closer and closer.

 

As they got closer Teddy noticed that they were indeed teenagers like him. There was three boys and two girls and they all looked very different from one another. One of the boys was dressed in a blue  football varsity jacket and a fake gunshot was in the middle of his forehead. He had brown hair and blue eyes that looked angrily at Tate.

 

One of the girls had brown hair and it done up in a high ponytail and was wearing a cheer uniform - and Teddy blinked in surprise when he saw that it was an older and outdated uniform of his own high school, Westfield High School. She didn't look peppy though as she glared at Tate. Blood was stained on her chest where a hole was ripped through the sweater of her cheer uniform, as if she were shot there.

 

Did they go to his school? Teddy wondered as he eyed the rest of them.

 

The other girl in the group looked like one of those Gothic chicks you'd see in 90s movies and tv shows. She had big blonde hair with an occasional black streak mixed in there, dressed in all black and her black lips pulled into a snarl once she saw Tate sitting next to Teddy. Teddy eyed the spot on the side of her head where it looked like her brain was hanging out in both horror and fascination.

 

Another guy with long, shaggy black hair and dressed like Bender from The Breakfast Club stared at them in pure hatred as he stood protectively in font of the last guy in there little group of misfits. The last member of the group was cute and had on a pair of Dexter glasses and was dressed in a nice button up and ironed pants - the image was ruined though by the fact that his jaw was barely attached to his face and hanging awkwardly as blood poured from it and stained his nice shirt. 

 

  
"Nice costumes." Teddy told them sarcastically as he stared at them in amusement, "What are you, the dead Breakfast Club? Really _original_ you guys."

 

"You know, there's a whole lot of beach, guys." Tate said.

 

"Good job, Tate. You finally came out of hiding." The jock spoke up. So they _did_ know Tate. Teddy remembered Tate mentioning that he used to go to Westfield High before he got thrown out, maybe they had known the blonde before he got kicked out. "We've been waiting for years for you to show your face. But you like Mommy's little safe house, don't you?"

 

"I don't know you." Tate told him, shaking his head.

 

"I'm actually surprised you have the balls to show your face around here." The cheerleader spoke up next as she squatted down next to Teddy, looking directly at Tate as she spoke.

 

"Yeah." The goth chick mirrored the other girls movement and got close to Tate with an evil smirk, "Maybe you should have worn a mask."

 

Teddy eyed the girl next to him, more specificity her fake gunshot wound. It was splotchy and her sweater was bloodied around the hole, it took a few seconds to find the exact wound as it was dark out and the fire was starting to dim a little. Teddy mentally applauded whoever had done her wound as it looked like the real deal, they deserved an award for the realism. 

 

"I'm not really into Halloween." Tate told the goth girl, his voice steady. 

 

"But this year's different, right?" The goth girl glanced over at Teddy with amusement and a hint of pity that both made him bristle and feel confused at the same time. "You have a date.  
How cute is that?"

 

"Leave him alone." Tate demanded, his voice taking an edge to it that made Teddy shudder. He pushed the goth girl away and stood up, towering over the girl and by default, Teddy who sat on the ground on the blanket glancing around him with weary eyes.

 

"We don't want him." The jock said, sounding annoyed, "We want you." 

 

Teddy raised an eyebrow at that but didn't say anything, keeping quiet for once and letting Tate handle his own shit. But if it started to get physical, Teddy had no qualms hitting a girl or two in the face to protect Tate.

 

"How about we drown him?" The goth girl spoke up with heavy excitement in her voice as she smirked. 

 

"No, we should shoot him right between the eyes." The jock said with a gestured hand at his head wound.

 

"Okay. I've had a enough," Teddy stood up from the safety of the ground and took a step in front of the jock, "You've had your Halloween prank, now go home and leave us the hell alone."

 

Whatever pity was in the goth girls eyes disappeared as she glared at him, "Will somebody please erase this fucker?"

 

"Yeah." Wannabe Bender finally spoke up, "Why does he get a boyfriend? I don't have a boyfriend." 

 

"Do you want one?" Teddy asked with an amused tilt of his lips as he eyed him. Tate stiffened up next to him with a frown. Teddy ignored him as his mind flashed to Patrick and his hungry eyes as he eyed Teddy up the other day. "I know a guy whose looking for a twink like you." Wannabe Bender glared at him angrily, taking a step toward him.

 

"Come on," Tate spoke him, putting an arm in front of Teddy protectively. "This beach sucks." Tate leaned down and grabbed the blanket on the ground in hurried movement. He wrapped his arm around Teddy and lead him away from the dead Breakfast Club, "Someone should pick up the trash."

 

 

* * *

 

"What was that at the beach," Teddy demanded as he locked his bedroom door. "They knew you Tate."

 

"But I don't know them." Tate defended himself. 

 

"Then why do they hate you?" Teddy asked, crossing his arms against his chest. "They looked like they really wanted to hurt you, like they meant what they said."

 

"Th-They're just high school assholes. I mean, the world's full of 'em." Tate started to pace around the room anxiously, "It's popular kids who get off on being mean and cruel." Tate paused and looked up at Teddy with sad dark eyes, "I thought you understood that."

 

Teddy looked away from him and said quietly, "I do understand, Tate."

 

And he did. Teddy wasn't exactly Mr. Popular with his sarcastic attitude and sometimes snide remarks among his peers. Add in the daddy issues and the fact that he was gay, Teddy was as unpopular as you could get. Even his attractive looks couldn't save him from the bullies and mean remarks from the other students. He couldn't bat his long eyelashes and flutter his green eyes at everyone and get away with everything all the time, everyone was immune to flattery most of the time.

 

The neighborhood dogs started to go crazy outside and barked in warning at something. Feeling apprehension, Teddy frowned and made his way over to his window and looked outside to see what it was that made the dogs go berserk. It was the kids from earlier, and boy did they look pissed. 

 

"It's them." Teddy told Tate. He watched them walk across his lawn as they eyed the broken and smashed Halloween decorations in bemusement. "Did they follow us home?"

 

Shit. His parents were home and he did not need a bunch of burnouts upsetting his mother and causing her to have to go to the hospital twice in one night. They needed to leave, right the fuck now.

 

Steeling his nerves and glaring at them he turned on his heel and made to leave the room, stopping to grab a pair of scissor off his desk and throwing over his shoulder at Tate, "This is bullshit, Tate. They need to leave right now before my mom sees them." 

 

* * *

 

Teddy opened the backdoor with a harsh yank and slammed it close behind him, glaring at the two teens - the jock and cheerleader - who were sitting on his parents car with bored looks. The small walk from his bedroom and outside made his anger fester and now he was beyond pissed off.

 

"Oh great," The jock drawled, hopping off his parents car "He sends out his little boyfriend."

 

"With a pair of scissors." The goth girl cut in, eyeing Teddy in amusement, "You gonna make us some paper dolls?" 

 

Teddy just stared at her blankly and raised his scissors in warning, "This is private property. I have every right to call the cops." The goth girl's eyes flickered down at his weapon of choice with a small smirk. Teddy wanted to wipe the look off her face.

 

"Go ahead. Call them." The cheerleader said with amusement, as if Teddy had said a funny joke. "You'll probably need them."

 

"Screw that. He deserves whatever happens to him." The jock smirked. 

 

Teddy narrowed his eyes at him and clenched the scissors tightly, trying not to do something stupid and actually stab the fucker. He didn't want to go to jail for trying to kill a dumb jock. "Fuck you, asshole."

 

"Yeah. He's like those lonely, fat chicks that marry guys on death row." The goth girl gave him a serious look and mocked, "You're deeply, deeply disturbed."

 

"You guys need to leave right now." Teddy hissed at them angrily, "Take your ugly Party City faces and go the hell home."

 

"Home? Where is that? I'm an only child." The cheerleader made her way in front of Teddy and looked at him with aggrieved eyes, "After what happened, my parents split up, sold the house, moved away. No forwarding address." She inhaled shakily and Teddy felt a pinch of guilt and sorrow as he watched her eyes mist over, "So I don't have a home."

 

"Parents suck," Teddy told her softly, his voice steady and trying to reign in his temper, "but I can't fix it for you."

 

"Can you fix this?" The jock him angrily, pointing at the bullet hole in his forehead, "Can you give me back my scholarship to Georgia Tech? I'm supposed to be starting quarterback freshman year." 

 

This dude was seriously pissing him off. Did he think pointing at a fake gunshot wound would make Teddy feel bad and apologize to him? Fuck him then. 

 

"He doesn't care." The cheerleader told them with a humorless smile, "He's in love, and he'll do anything for him, including giving him his virginity." Teddy froze and felt embarrassment at his failed attempt to get Tate to have sex with him, "Tonight was the night, wasn't it?"

 

"It's none of your fucking business." Teddy spat her with a snarl, his previous sympathy for her vanishing.

 

"You stupid slut." The jock said with disgust, "He's worse than he is. He thinks it's okay what he did to us."

 

"What did Tate even do to you?" Teddy yelled in anger. He gripped the scissors tightly and glared at the other teens.

 

"He doesn't know." 

 

"About what?" Teddy asked them in frustration having enough with the subtle hints he obviously wasn't picking up on. He stared wide eyed at the boy wearing glasses as he tried to finally speak  up but couldn't. Instead of a voice and words coming out of his unhinged jaw, all that came out was a gurgled noise as blood poured out of his mouth and on the pavement of the driveway. It was disgusting and nauseating even if it wasn't real. 

 

"It's okay." The cheerleader told him gently, patting his arm when he walked toward her and away from Teddy's prying eyes. 

 

"How have you not heard about Westfield High?" The jock questioned him, his voice holding none of the previous anger from before.

 

"We just moved here." Teddy told him. 

 

"Pick up a yearbook, you idiot." The goth girl spoke up behind.

 

"Or read a newspaper." The cheerleader added.

 

"We're kind of famous." 

 

Teddy scoffed at them, rolling his green eyes, "So you're popular, and you're pissed off I don't know who you are." 

 

"Let's put him down, out of his misery." The goth girl got real close to his face and he could smell her bad breath.

 

"Try it you stupid bitch and see what fucking happens." Teddy told her, shoving her away with one hand, "Get a fucking breath mint, you wannabe Bride of Chucky. Jesus." 

 

That seemed to piss the girl off even more as she snarled and took a threatening step toward him. A voice spoke up suddenly behind them and they turned to see Tate.

 

"Don't touch him!" Tate demanded, a furious look on his face as he walked out.

 

Tate made a gesture for Teddy to come to him and the dark haired boy did so willingly. Teddy knew exactly what the other boy was capable of and felt a lot safer as he stood behind the blonde, watching the group of teens with narrowed green eyes.

 

"Finally! The prodigal son returns." The jock exclaimed in false excitement.

 

"Come on down, man. We've got some questions." Wannabe Bender said.

 

"Go inside, Teddy. I can handle this." Tate told him through clenched teeth, nodding to the door behind them.

 

Teddy frowned at him, "Tate-"

 

"I seriously doubt that." The cheerleader spoke her voice and posture radiating rage.

 

"Go inside!" Tate yelled at him, finally looking away from the group and at him with dark eyes full of anger. They softened a little when Teddy flinched.

 

"No." Teddy told him worriedly. "They want to hurt you."

 

"Karma's a bitch, Tate." The goth spoke up.

 

Karma? What karma? What the hell was going on? What did Tate do to them that made them hate him so much and want to physically hurt him?

 

"You want to talk to me? Let's see how fast you can run." Tate shoved past them and ran like a bat out of hell, the group chasing after him with pissed off looks. 

 

Teddy stood in silence his mouth hanging open in shock as he stared at the spot where the teens had just stood. Why did Tate do that? He wouldn't do that unless he knew he would be okay, Teddy reassured himself. Besides, Tate can obviously handle himself as he had already proven.

 

Letting out a sigh, Teddy shook his head and was about to turn into the house when he felt a hand grip his arm in a bruising grip. He spun around on his heel and saw Constance glaring at him with red rimmed eyes. 

 

"Come with me to my house now." Constance demanded, squeezing him tightly.

 

"Leave me alone, you crazy bitch." Teddy tried to shrug off her bruising grip and pull away.

 

"Addy is dead because of your sister!" The winkles on Constance's face tightening as she snarled at him, her brown eyes glassy and tired.

 

What? Addy was dead? But, Teddy had seen her leaving the house earlier today with make up on and Addy looked fine and happy as she smiled brightly at Teddy on her way out. She was completely fine and very alive. What did his sister even do that made her blame Violet.

 

Needing answers from the older woman, Teddy let Constance drag him to her house.


	15. Halloween (part six)

"She wanted to be a pretty girl." Constance told him as he sat at her kitchen table, clenching his jaw tightly. "Of course, she didn't look so pretty lying on that table under those harsh, energy-efficient lights." 

 

Constance set an empty tea cup decorated in flowers in front of him gently, her hands shaking as she talked. "One of the many comforts of having children is knowing one's youth has not fled but merely been passed down to a new generation."

 

Teddy felt sorrow and sadness as he thought about sweet and kind Addy who was laying dead in a morgue, never to smile at him or break into his home ever again to find her friends as she called them. Addy was pure and good, and Teddy felt like the world had taken her away from Constance as punishment for not being a great mother to the girl. While he didn't really like Constance much or thought she was an amazing mother to the poor girl, Teddy knew that Constance still loved her daughter even if she acted differently.

 

After all, no should lose their child and have them taken away. Not even a woman like Constance.

 

"They say when a parent dies a child feels his own mortality. But when a child dies it's immortality that a parent loses." Constance continued, her voice soft. 

 

"Constance, I'm so sorry about Addy." Teddy told her, his voice cracking.

 

"Well, your sister did encourage her. That's true." Constance poured the steaming liquid of tea in his cup, with a humorless smile. "But your sister was just trying to be kind, wasn't she? I was the one who sent her out into the world tonight. And it did what it will do." Constance pushed the tea cup closer to him, "Go ahead, drink your- drink your tea, honey."

 

Teddy gently took the matching bowl of sugar and spoon she handed him, and poured a few tablespoons of sugar in his cup. He stirred it mechanically and just watched the dark brown liquid turn a lighter brown as he continued to stir, his mind silent for once. He was in so much shock from all that had happened to night that he just pushed everything to the side and focused on stirring his tea calmly. 

 

Teddy glanced up from his stirring to see Constance's cigarette purse open and pointed in his direction. He suddenly craved a cigarette and it seemed like the most appealing thing in the moment. Teddy hadn't touched any of his pills in almost a month after the pleading of Tate who had grabbed the pills and flushed them down the toilet while Teddy had been downstairs grabbing a snack for them to eat while they hung out in his room.

 

He'd been so pissed and upset at the blonde for days after and had ignored him when the blonde came over for his daily appointment's with his dad. Teddy had only forgiven the other boy when Tate apologized and pleaded with him to stop taking the pills before they killed him. Teddy had almost told him about what happened in Boston with Matt but decided not to.

 

And so Teddy had reluctantly stopped taking the pills - only smoking the weed he had left and huffing on the cigarettes he stole from his sister's purse.

 

"Can I have one of those?" Teddy asked, pointing at the purse full of cigarettes.

 

"Oh, a cigarette? Oh. Certainly." Constance asked him, before picking up the purse and holding it out for Teddy, who pulled one out. "Just don't let your mama know that I am encouraging your vices."

 

Teddy nodded in agreement and leaned down when Constance lit her lighter with the cigarette held in between his teeth gently. He watched the end of the stick turn blue then red then an orange color as it caught heat and he inhaled the smoke, burning in his lunges. He exhaled the smoke before taking another puff and holding it for a few seconds, watching Constance as the woman stared at him with dark brown eyes that glimmered with slight sadness.

 

"You know, Adelaide was a willful child. I suppose if she inherited anything from me, it was that. In truth, I think my little monster was more like me than any of my other children." Constance told him. 

 

Inhaling on his cigarette, Teddy raised one eyebrow at her in surprise. He didn't know that Constance had other children. He suddenly felt bad for the kids and wondered where they were - or had they left their mother, trying to get away from her as soon as they turned eighteen. Okay that was a little mean - harsh but true. Teddy reminded himself that Constance was grieving her daughter.

 

"I didn't know you had other kids." Teddy spoke up in surprise. He watched Constance pause and look away with a considering look, her dark brown eyes gleaming.

 

"Tate is my son." Constance told him after a moment of silence in which she rubbed at her neck nervously and fidgeted under his stare.

 

"What?" Was all Teddy could manage out, his world coming down around him as he stared in disbelief at Constance. 

 

But it suddenly made sense to him. The way Tate talked about his mother - the awful things he told Teddy that she did; like seducing their next door neighbor who was married and had two little girls, verbally and even sometimes physically abusing him. How she would emotionally manipulate him and use lies to deceive him. All of that did seem like something Constance would do, her ammo. 

 

"He cannot know about this, Teddy. He cannot know that his sister has passed. Not now. He doesn't react well to certain things. So you- you have to promise me." Constance pleaded with him, her eyes scared and her voice shaking.

 

"I-I don't understand." Teddy told her. He flinched when Constance suddenly reached across the table to grab his arm again - her grip softer then earlier but still firm.

 

"Well, he's a sensitive boy. You've seen that. He-He's a young man with too deep feelings the soul of a poet but none of the grit or steel that acts as a bulwark against this- these horrors of this world." Constance stood up and walked over to a counter in her kitchen and picked up a framed picture, and clutched it to her chest "The steel that has protected me that Adelaide possessed. And that-that you have too. I, uh-I think-that's why he's taken so with you. He craves your strength."

 

Constance walked over to where he was sitting and showed him the photograph in her hands, "Look. Maybe he misses his sister." Teddy took the frame out of her hands gently, swallowing when he saw the photo, "But we must protect him, Teddy."

 

The photo was of a Adelaide and Tate smiling at the camera under a shaded tree. Tate's arm was wrapped around her arm and he looked genuinely happy as he stared at the camera with kind, dark eyes. Adelaide had a bright sunny smile and she looked happy and safe and comfortable under Tate's arm and near him.

 

God, he wanted to protect that smile so bad, that soft look in Tate's eyes. Teddy wanted to protect the other boy like Tate had been protecting all along. He wanted to keep Tate safe and most of all keep him happy. 

 

As Teddy stared at the photo he suddenly come to a conclusion. 

 

"Okay." Teddy finally said, his voice soft and sad as he stared at the photograph. "I won't tell him about Addy."

 

"Do you promise?" Constance questioned him, her voice still soft but had an edge to it that reminded him so badly of Tate. "Can you promise me you won't tell him the truth?"

 

Teddy felt his eyes tear up and he tried not to cry at what he said next. 

 

_I'm so sorry Tate..._ _I love you._

 

"I promise."

 

 


	16. Piggy, Piggy (part one)

 

Violet sat in front of her computer staring in horror as she read article after article about the Westfield Massacre and the victims: Chloe Stapleton, Kyle Greenwell, Amir Stanley, Stephanie Boggs, and Kevin Gedman. 

 

Violet had seen the teens leaving her house last night and chasing after Tate down the street as she walked home. She felt like they looked familiar but had shrugged it off and went inside her house and went to sleep, forgetting about it. But when she woke up the next morning, she suddenly realized why they looked familiar. 

 

Leah had showed her a picture of them one day while they hung out at the other girls house. Leah had explained who they were and what happened, how they were victims of a massacre in the late 1990s and they were all killed in the library hiding away from the murderer.

 

They hadn't finished the conversation as Violet had leaned in and kissed her. It was their first kiss and Violet's first one ever and wasn't their last one either, thankfully. 

 

Violet had woken up and immediately went to her laptop and typed in Westfield Massacre in the search engine and felt horror as she stared at the pictures of the kids she saw last night leaving her house. She didn't know how they were there, or how they were alive when the article's clearly said they all died in 1994.

 

But Violet had seen them leaving her house and looking very much alive as they chased her brother's boyfriend down the street and pass Violet who was walking home from Leah's house from another date.

 

Violet pursed her lips and willed herself to click on a different article that named and showed the school shooter and froze in fear when she saw the picture of a smiling blonde headed boy.

 

It was Tate, her brother's boyfriend.

 

Violet felt sick as she stared at the computer screen with tears as she read the headline.  _Suspect In School Shooting Found Dead._

 

She had to tell Teddy about what she found, even if he didn't like it. Violet had to protect Teddy like her brother had been protecting her since they were kids.

 

* * *

 

 

Teddy sat in his bed and stared at his wall blankly as his sister told him everything. About Tate, the massacre at Westfield in the 1940s, everything. She didn't leave a single detail out, even when he told her to stop. Violet showed him the articles and the pictures of the Westfield Victims and they were the teenagers from Halloween night.

 

He didn't say anything in response as she talked and just kept staring at the wall with blank expression. After Violet said told him everything and he said nothing in turn, she left him with a sad and sorry look as she walked away, leaving his laptop open with the pictures of the kids staring at him, taunting him almost with their smiles and happy faces. 

 

Teddy suddenly felt anger as he threw his laptop against the wall and screamed. He screamed and screamed, letting out all of frustration as picked up the laptop and started to repeatedly slam his laptop against the wall until all that was left was a mangled, broken thing. Just like him.

 

God, they played him like a fool, didn't they? 

 

First Tate with his false smiles and sweet lies, then Constance with her fake regret and her play to enact his pity for both her and her son.

 

Teddy realized that he had fallen in love with Tate on Halloween night as he sat in Constance kitchen and smoked a cigarette. He felt love and heartache for Tate, first from his confessions and heartbreaking speech about school, and then from Constance's sob story. He wasn't even surprised that she used Teddy's love for her son and his guilt and pity for Addy against him.

 

No, what hurt the worst was the fact that Tate had lied to him. About the kids from Halloween night, his mother, his medicine - Teddy had taken a quick snoop around his father's office and saw no where on Tate's medication did it say that it caused erectile dysfunction - and just everything. 

 

Even after everything that Teddy had found out in the course of two days, he still loved Tate - still craved the other boys love and affection. He craved the smile the blonde would give him whenever Teddy said something funny or interesting, the soft and gentle look in his pretty dark eyes that sucked Teddy in. The safety and protection he provided for him. 

 

Teddy cried big fat ugly tears as he slid down his bedroom wall with his hands in his hair and tugged at it in anger. He felt empty, but at the same time, he felt overwhelmed with emotion after emotion as they hit him all at once.

 

Tate loved his dark curls, Tate loved his freckles, and most of all, Tate loved his green eyes.

 

But, was it all a lie? Did Tate even really love Teddy or had he been faking the whole time and trying to gain his sympathy, admiration and devotion all along?

 

Teddy wanted comfort and safety and he knew only two people who could provide that for him. One was the reason he was crying in the first place and the other was his mother.

 

 

__

* * *

 

"Mom!" Teddy shouted, going from room to room and trying to find his mother. "Momma!"

 

He continued to call out for her, his desperation and sadness festering inside of him as time went on and he couldn't find her. Teddy made his way to the kitchen hoping to find her drinking coffee and giving him one her famous hugs - the ones she would give Teddy when a was a child and wanted to be comforted by his mother. 

 

Teddy smelt her before he saw her. He could smell her expensive floral perfume and her special brand of cigarettes, saw the smoke hovering above her perfectly done blonde hair and leading into the room he was standing in. Her back was to him and she didn't even startle when he spoke.

 

"Where's my mother, Constance?" Teddy spat at her as walked into the kitchen with a hateful glare, "Did you hurt her?"

 

"Of course not." Constance scoffed at him as she flicked her ashes and stubbed her cigarette. "She's probably at the grocery store buying some frozen fare to reheat for your supper tonight. You found out about Tate, didn't you? I knew you would. You're a smart boy, Teddy."

 

"Get out." Teddy demanded, steeling his nerves and walking further into the room. "I don't believe you or-"

 

"I questioned my sanity when I first found out." Constance cut him off, "But this house- this house will make you a believer. You see, Teddy, we were living here when Tate lost his way. And I believe that the house drove him to it."

 

 _She's fucking crazy!_ Teddy thought. _Ghosts aren't real. Tate isn't dead, he can't be._

 

"You're lying to me again, Constance." Teddy told her, his voice made of steel. "And I'm not listening to you anymore. Not to your sob story or your lies."

 

  
"You're a smart boy. How can you be so arrogant to think that there's only one reality that you're able to see?" Constance demanded. She let out a sigh and turned toward Teddy, "I want you to meet someone."

 


	17. Piggy, Piggy (part two)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for this chapter: Mentions of almost Rape/Non-con, Thoughts of Suicide and Self Harm, Dark Thoughts of a Broken Teenage Boy, ect. 
> 
> Don't read on if any of this makes you uncomfortable or makes you have flashbacks or causes you to think of self harm, please.

Teddy followed after Constance and walked in behind her when she went into her house through the backdoor, closing it behind him. He walked into he kitchen and saw a beautiful blonde woman sitting at the kitchen table looking at her manicured hands in admiration.

 

She was dressed like a business woman with her suede black jacket and string of pearls resting against her fair neck, her make up was done perfectly with not even a trace of smudge or ruin. 

 

"Teddy Harmon, meet Billie Dean Howard." Constance introduced them to each other. Teddy just stared and gave her unimpressed look wondering what the hell Constance was up to now. Billie let out a soft laugh as if reading his mind. "The child has no manners. Billie is a gifted medium. She can help."

 

Billie shot Constance a look before turning and giving him a warm smile, "You're confused. Overwhelmed. Why wouldn't you be?"

 

Teddy stared at her in disbelief though narrowed eyes. He gave her a considering look, before telling her, "I never asked for any of this."

 

"None of us did." Billie told him, "But nothing can be done once one's been chosen." She gestured to the open and empty seat next to her as if to say sit down, please. 

 

Teddy thought about running out the backdoor - he knew they wouldn't try and stop him if he did - and going back home. But his curiosity and his need for answers won out in the end and he took up Billie's silent question and sat in the unoccupied chair. 

 

"Billie has been helping me for years. I first found her on Craigslist." Constance said, pulling out her china and placing cups and plates on the table. Teddy almost rolled his eyes at the Craigslist part and barely managed to contain his annoyance and disbelief at her actually using the website. For all she knew Billie could have been scamming her and using her. "I've been through all the phonies but she is 100% authentic."

 

"Well that makes me feel better." Teddy muttered. 

 

"I've just come from a meeting at Lifetime." Billie told Constance, "They're interested in making a pilot with me."

 

"A Craigslist psychic with a Hollywood agent." Teddy said sarcastically, "Who'd have thought?"

 

"A medium, dear." Billie told him with a tight smile, her face dimming. "I can't read your future. That's a different gift."

 

"Have some chamomile tea." Constance told him, taking her pot of tea and pouring it in his tea cup. "It'll calm the nerves."  
  


 

"This isn't real." Teddy said, "I'm in a dream."

 

"I was like you." Billie said, "Until I was 25 when out of the blue, my cleaning lady shows up as I'm brushing my teeth. Except she's got no toilet brush and rubber gloves. She's naked and bloody. Her husband murdered her with an ice pick."

 

"It's hard to keep good help." Constance added, pouring her and Billie some tea. 

 

Teddy was reminded of Moira and her undeniable hatred for the blonde woman. He couldn't blame her, if he had worked for Constance too he probably would have hated her too.

 

"Do you think I wanted a bloody Mexican ghost in my bathroom? All I wanted was to improve my tennis game and unseat Charlotte Whitney as president of my book club." Billie continued, her brown eyes staring at him. "But I was chosen. And when you're chosen you either get with the program, or you go crazy. Understanding the truth is your only choice."

 

"What's your version of the truth?" Teddy asked her, starting to believe her somewhat. Her brown eyes didn't hold the same gleam that he had seen whenever someone lied to him. He would know, he'd been lied and tricked from the first day he moved here. "Please, tell me." 

 

Billie picked up a cigarette from her own purse and put it in between her glossed lips to let Constance light her cigarette for her. She inhaled the smoke before exhaling - and Teddy wanted a smoke so bad as he watched her - and giving him a look.

 

Billie gave him a gentle but firm look and told him, "There are some who have an understandably violent and vengeful reaction to being horribly murdered. They refuse to move on until they exact their pound of flesh. Then there are a very few souls, like Tate, who don't even know they're dead who walk among the living in childlike confusion." 

 

Teddy had looked up when Billie uttered Tate's name in surprise. He knew that from the articles that had Tate died in 1994, but to actually have it confirmed felt like he was being sucked in the Twilight Zone and his eyes were finally being enlightened by the honest and undeniable truth of hard, stone cold facts.  Teddy didn't know if he could handle the truth. He already felt overwhelmed just from what little he already knew. 

 

He had already so what Tate was capable of on the night of the break in, had seen what the blonde could do if he was angered or wanted to keep him safe. Teddy felt flooded with emotions he couldn't even begin to place at the moment. But one stood out among the rest: he was tired and exhausted, he wanted everything to just stop for a few seconds and let him catch his breath.

 

"That's why I wanted him to see your father. I was hoping your father might help him achieve some clarity about himself - that he could see the truth on his own." Constance told him.

 

"We must help him cross over, Teddy." Billie added, her voice low and had a hint of pity as she stared at him. Billie flicked her ashes in the glass tray Constance had slid to her.

 

Was Tate going to leave him if that happened? Teddy felt sick - at himself, for feeling sadness at the thought of never seeing his blonde. God, what the hell was wrong with him? He found out Tate was dead and a murderer and all he could manage to feel was sad over Tate possibly leaving him.

 

That goth chick - Stephanie Boggs, he reminded himself - was right about him. He was deeply disturbed and he needed serious help.

 

Teddy felt tears prickle at his eyes and felt irritation at the women, at his sister for even telling him what she found out and ruining his bubble with Tate, at Tate for being a liar and hypocrite, and at himself for believing any of them and going along with it. He wanted to be in denial and pretend he had never listened to Violet or he had never heard this conversation, ever. Teddy wanted to go home and see Tate and not feel guilt eat away at his consciousness at the thought of Tate and what he did.

 

"This is-is a set up. You're trying to trick me again. I won't let you." Even as Teddy said that, he didn't really mean it. In his heart he knew it was real and they were telling him the truth. But he just wanted to deny it for a little longer, to pretend this was all a big joke on him and live in his own little bubble. "This is bullshit."

 

"Who is Mary?" Billie asked, her eyes flitting around the kitchen as if listening to someone speak, she reached over and grabbed his hand in hers. Teddy felt his heart stop and his throat suddenly felt tight. Oh god, please no. Let this all be a prank. "Teddy, she wants to talk to you." 

 

Teddy suddenly had a flashback of his grandmother in hospital on life support as the life slowly faded away from her brown eyes - so much Violet's. He hadn't wanted to come to the hospital and watched the woman he loved and looked up to suffer and die. But at the same time he hadn't wanted to leave her to die alone in a hospital, didn't want the last thing she ever saw to be the all white of her room and nurses that tried to make her comfortable before she left the world in a peaceful sleep.

 

The elderly woman had gripped gently by the hand and pulled him down to whisper in his ear, her shaking hand cupping his face in a gentle grip as she softly stroked his face.  "They don't understand you, Teddybear. They will never understand you. You have to be strong and stay away from him." His grandmother's grip had lessened the more she talked to him, her voice shaking.

 

Teddy had wanted been confused and scared as he listened to her. "Who grandma? Stay away from who?" 

 

"He wants to save you and take you with him into the darkness." His grandmother had told him, her eyes looking clear of the pain and sleep for once. Teddy had thought at the time that she looked possessed with her big brown eyes and wild curls that he had inherited from her. "Don't let him."

 

Holy shit. Did his grandmother know what was going to happen to him, about their family? About Tate? Had she known then what would happen after her death and tried to warn him?

 

  
"Does that mean anything to you? 'They don't understand you'?" Billie asked again, her voice coming out hurried and giving him a confused look.

 

Teddy felt a warm liquid run down his cheek and he realized he was crying. He shuddered when he felt something brush against the corner of his face in a gentle stroke, his heart stopped when he thought of his grandmother.

 

Was she really here? Had she seen everything that was happening? Had she seen what happened that night when that man touched him? When he held Teddy down and put a knife under his throat to make him stop struggling? To make him be a good boy for the man? Teddy hoped not, he really did. He didn't want her to worry about him in the afterlife when she was supposed to be at peace.

 

"Oh my god." Billie gasped, her brown eyes welling up with tears as she gave him a horrified look. "Oh, Teddy, I had no idea. I'm so sorry that happened to you."

 

Teddy stood up from his chair quickly, the chair making a screech as it was pulled back harshly by his sudden movement. He opened his mouth to say something, _anything_. He wanted to yell at her to shut the fuck up, to not say anything, to be quiet. But all that came out was a strangled noise as he tried to choke back a sob. He had blocked that night out of his mind, trying to forget and move on, to pretend nothing ever happened to him. 

 

Constance shot them both confused looks as she watched them, looking between them with worriedly. 

 

Teddy suddenly wanted to punch something, he wanted to bawl his eyes out, he wanted his mother.

 

He wanted Tate. 

 

God, even after everything he still wanted Tate. He still loved him. 

 

Teddy raced out of Constance's house as quickly as he came, wiping at his tear stained face. He felt like he couldn't breath, like someone was choking him from the inside and out. Everything suddenly felt tight and suffocating to him, his breathing coming out in harsh and shaky inhale's and exhale's as he tried to choke back sobs. 

 

* * *

 

 

He stared at the razor blade and imagined himself placing the sharp blade to his throat and sliding it across his pale slender neck, watching his reflection through the bathroom mirror as he bleed out. But he didn't. He didn't want his poor mother to come across his bloodied corpse and lose her baby again. Loosing two more of her babies would kill her, he thought miserably. 

 

He couldn't kill himself, he had to keep living. He had to live for his mother and his sister, for the unborn baby his mother was carrying. The little guy or girl needed to know their big brother. 

 

_You just can't do it, you little bitch. You're to much of a pussy._

 

_No, I'm not._

 

_Then do it already!_

 

_Fine. I will._

 

 

Teddy placed the blade against his wrist, willing himself to just do it. To slide the cool metal blade against his warm skin and watch the red droplets pool around in him in a circle. He didn't press the blade against his skin and just hovered it above his unmarred skin, well almost unmarred skin.

 

The scar from the last time he tried to do this was right above where the blade was resting, almost mocking him for his clumsiness and stupidity.

 

 _Do it, Teddy._ The voice whispered in his mind.  _You'll be free. No more worrying about your family, no more dysfunctional family. No more Tate. You'll be free of him and his lies._

 

"Are you scared of me now?" Tate appeared behind him and in the mirror that he was standing in, giving him an upset look. But his dark eyes told a different tale.

 

Teddy glanced up slowly, the whites of his eyes an ugly shade of red from his crying. His red rimmed and green eyes looking numb and blank. He gripped the blade his hand tightly, not even flinching when the blade pierced his skin and started to bleed.

 

Before he could even yell at himself to not do it, Teddy had already turned around and flung the razor blade at the spot the blonde had stood in previously letting out an angry yell. It fell to the tiled floor with a small clang, specks of his blood falling on the white floor with it. 

 

Teddy stared at the mess for a moment before grabbing a towel off of the rack and getting on his knees to scrub at the blood and pick the razor up to dispose of it in the trash. He placed his hand under the faucet afterwards and rinsed the dried blood off of his hand, before grabbing the first aid kit and wrapping his hand up with gauze and disinfection spray.

 

His mind blank the whole time he did it.

 

 


	18. Piggy, Piggy (part three)

After almost a week of sleepless nights and horrible nightmares, Teddy had decided to go to the library in his school and where the group of teens had died. He needed proof that he wasn't going crazy or slowly losing his sanity. 

 

Teddy stood in front of the memorial sign of the Westfield Massacre Victims - their names engraved on the sign - and stared at it, resigned. Teddy had his proof now, didn't he? He should leave and go home to figure out what to do next - but something held him back. 

 

Something told him to stay, to wait and watched what happened next. The voice sounded suspiciously like his grandmother and that made his skin crawl in both anxiety and fear. So he stayed, walking around the library and looking, waiting for what come next.

 

"They were over by the sofa. Used to be a row of tables." A male voice spoke up behind him. Teddy turned around and saw a man in a mechanical wheelchair putting books on shelves. It was the librarian who had survived the massacre. He looked older then in the pictures on the internet. Then again, it had been years since the murders happened. "I get four or five of you sickos a year. Usually freshmen. What, are you a transfer?"

 

"You're that teacher." Teddy said. "You're like a hero."

 

"Now you know what heroes look like." The librarian told him with an edge of hostility to his tone of voice. He wheeled past him not looking back, and Teddy knew that the man didn't want to talk anymore but he needed answers now. 

 

Teddy needed to know why Tate did what he did. He needed a reason - a reason to blame Tate's crime on something that wouldn't put the blonde in a bad light. 

 

"Wait. I'm sorry. I'm not like those other kids. I know Tate." Teddy realized what he said and quickly tried to take back what he said. "I mean I know his mom, Constance. We moved next door to her." When the man turned around, he continued to ask, "Did you know him? Before he did this?"

 

"I knew his face. Didn't seem like a bad kid actually. He was in here a lot. Kind of thoughtful. Liked to read. Byron, books on birds, random stuff." The librarian told him. Teddy already knew about everything he just mentioned. 

 

Teddy knew Tate liked to read especially books about birds, he had gotten him a book on birds just a couple of weeks ago from this very library and - oh.

 

 _Oh_.

 

Tate's reaction to the book on birds suddenly made sense to Teddy. The way Tate had stared at the book in wonder, stroking the pages and being careful with the book as if he had already read it multiple times. Teddy suddenly felt like an idiot and like he was the dumbest person ever. 

 

"Was he bullied or something?" Teddy questioned him with a tired frown. "Did he even know the kids he shot? I just - I just want to know why he did it."

 

"Me too." Was all the librarian told him.

 

Before Teddy could ask anymore questions or open his mouth, the man wheeled away from him. Teddy felt anger and indignation well up inside of him as he watched the man go. Teddy needed answers and this man might have them and he wasn't talking.

 

The empathetic part of him told him to let the man go and move on, but the apathetic side of him told him to pry and pry until he got what he needed.

 

"Why are you being such an asshole?" Teddy asked him in anger, his voice louder then he meant it. He almost regretted it. Almost.

 

The man stopped and sat for a moment before wheeling back over to Teddy, " If the bullet had been an inch to the right it would have missed my spine, and I would have walked out of here. Might have even been able to stop him. An inch higher, it would have killed me." Teddy glanced away from him for a brief second feeling a bit guilty for his previous words but he shoved them down. He made his bed and now he'll lay in it. "Sometimes shit just happens." 

 

"Good people don't just have a bad day and start shooting people." Teddy told him. 

 

"Maybe he wasn't a good person." The librarian gave him a tight smile before turning and leaving him alone.

 

* * *

 

Violet laid on her bed and read her _Tokyo Ghoul_ manga, blasting _The Smiths_ on her iPod. She flipped a page and continued to read even as her mind raced with thoughts of her brother and his health.

 

Teddy had been ignoring her and kept disappearing from the house for the past few days ever since she had told him about Tate and The Westfield Massacre in 1994. Violet had been shocked and in disbelief herself, but the house had always felt weird and rubbed her the wrong way. And she loved it.

 

The house had always given her creepy vibes and it always felt like someone was in the room with her, even when it was empty and she was the only one in there. 

 

She felt bad about telling Teddy about his boyfriend, but Violet had seen the dark look in Tate's eyes and the way he looked at her brother made her skin crawl at times. There was an undeniable hunger in there - which gross, she didn't want to think about what her brother and he did in their free time, ew - and an obsessive look like he would do anything to protect Teddy from any potential harm.

 

It would have been sweet and adorable if it wasn't so creepy and weird. 

 

Tate made her uncomfortable with his intense black eyes and sickly sweet smiles. He just seemed so, _fake_. Like he was hiding something from everyone - even himself. Violet had let it go though, she wanted her brother to be happy even if was with a weird guy.

 

His happiness made her happy and she wanted him to have something like she has with Leah. Now, he wasn't really happy anymore.

 

Teddy avoided her and their mom and ate dinner in his room, and even when he did join them for dinner he was quiet and subdued the whole time. Pushing his broccoli around with a fork and hardly eating his dinner - old Teddy would have been shook by this - and he rarely slept anymore. Violet had seen the bags under his eyes and his paler then normal face, the exhaustion practically pouring out of his very being. 

 

_Creak_

 

Violet rolled over on her stomach and turned the volume down when she heard the creak in her room. Narrowing her brown eyes, she glanced around but when she saw nothing she shrugged and went back to reading _Tokyo Ghoul_. 

 

She didn't notice the angry eyes staring down at her in anger until the figure had slapped the book out of her hands, the book sliding across her wooden floor. 

 

Violet startled and looked up quickly to see Tate glaring at her with rage, his face tight and screwed up as he clenched his fists at his sides. For the first time since the night of the break in she felt fear as she stared up at him. But she felt anger too and that won out in the end. Violet steeled her and jumped up off her bed to glower back at Tate.

 

"What the hell are you doing here?" Violet demanded. "Teddy doesn't want to see you."

 

"Yeah, because of _you_." Tate hissed, his black eyes glaring a hole through her head. "You ruined it!"

 

" _I_ ruined it?" Violet felt the anger overwhelm her and she almost punched Tate in said anger. "You're the one who ruined it all by yourself." Tate shot her a dirty look and Violet continued feeling smug as each word left her mouth, "You're a monster, Tate. What you did to those kids was _awful_."

 

"I-I didn't do that!" Tate cried out, his eyes gleaming with tears. "You have to believe me, Violet. It was an accident. You have to tell Teddy I didn't do it. Please, Violet." 

 

As much as she loved her brother, Violet wasn't Teddy and she didn't believe Tate's little act _one bit_. She wouldn't melt at the sight of his fake tears and wobbly lips.

 

It was bullshit. 

 

"You don't shoot up a school and kill a bunch of kids on accident, Tate." Violet told him with a sneer, "I don't believe you for one second. And Teddy won't believe you anymore either."

 

Like a flip had switched inside of him, Tate's tears disappeared and he glowered at her with rage and pain. He grabbed her by the shoulders and shoved her against the wall and Violet let out a soft cry when she rammed her elbow in the wall.

 

Violet should feel afraid of Tate and what he could do to her but she didn't. She could see it in his eyes - he was holding himself back from truly hurting her liked he hurt those kids. And she knew why.

 

"You can't hurt me. You won't hurt me." Violet taunted him with a laugh. 

 

"What makes you think I won't?" Tate snarled at her. He gripped her arms in a tight grip but not tight enough to leave bruises on her pale skin. 

 

"Because Teddy would never forgive you." Violet told him with a smirk, her brown eyes gleaming in smugness when he flinched and let her go as if she had burnt him. "He'd hate you _forever_ if you did."

 

Tate let out a scream and shoved a few things off of her desk in anger, throwing them against her wall. Violet watched in silence as he ruined her bedroom, her smirk never leaving even when he threw the make up bag holding her precious razor blade. 

 

He finally stopped throwing his tantrum after a few minutes, his chest heaving and his eyes wild when he did so. She noticed a tear slide down his face as he stared at the picture on her wall of her and Teddy at the Zoo back in Boston, longingly. 

 

Tate really did love her brother didn't he? It might have been manipulation in the beginning - that she was certain of - but he still cared about Teddy in the end. Violet still didn't feel guilty for her hand in possibly breaking them up, she felt relieved as she watched the psychopath in her room. Teddy would hopefully never talk to Tate again and meet a nice, normal guy who wasn't a murderer and total nut case.

 

"Please don't tell Teddy about this." Tate asked her, his eyes moving around her now messy room. "Please don't tell him."

 

"I won't." Violet told him, crossing her arms. 

 

She wouldn't tell Teddy about what just happened. He would freak and the last thing she needed was him having a mental breakdown over her or trying to murder a ghost - could you even kill a ghost? She wondered. 

 

"You promise me Violet?" Tate asked, his voice having a slight edge to it. 

 

"I won't tell him anything." Violet rolled her eyes in annoyance when Tate gave her a look, "Fine. I promise. Happy now?" Tate nodded and she let out a huff, "Can you leave please? My mom is going to be up here any minute now and she doesn't need to see this" Violet gestured to her destroyed room, "or you in my room."

 

Tate gave her one last look before disappearing right before her very eyes. Violet was a little impressed at the display of his supernatural powers and muttered to herself as she started to pick up the mess on her floor and put her things back in order. 

 

"Holy shit."


	19. Piggy, Piggy (part four)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for this chapter: Attempted Suicide, Mentions of almost Rape/Non-con, ect.
> 
> Don't read on if any of this makes you uncomfortable or makes you have flashbacks or causes you to think of self harm, please.

"Dad?" Teddy knocked on the door of his father's office in their house. He waited until his father's patient left the room to speak, "I need to tell you something."

 

"Sure." Ben gave him a warm and encouraging smile, "What is it Teddy?" 

 

Teddy tried to get the words out about Tate and what happened to him the nigh of the break in, but that all that he could manage was a sob. The emotions he kept bottled up came pouring out of him in an instant.

 

Ben instantly pulled him into his arms and Teddy hugged him tightly, crying into his father's shoulder. He wanted to tell his father what happened so badly, he really did, but he couldn't. He couldn't get the words to leave his mouth. Teddy couldn't admit to it, he could hardly admit it to himself.

 

If he couldn't tell his father about Tate - his dad would probably try and get him admitted to a mental hospital if he did - he could at least tell his father about what happened the night of the break in and shoulder the burden of it to his father.

 

He wouldn't tell his mother, it would break her heart.

 

"I'm sorry, Daddy." Teddy cried to his father, "It's all my fault." 

 

"What? No. No, baby." Ben sounded startled and upset himself, "No, no, no. Your mom and I both love you very much. It's never gonna change." Teddy sobbed harder as he remembered why his father had been missing for the past few days.

 

Teddy forgot his mother and father were separated now, he'd been so involved with his own life that he hadn't had time to check in on everyone else's lives. He was so absorbed with Tate and then Constance and poor Addy's passing that he hadn't had time to look around him and see that his family was imploding and being torn apart.

 

Oh, Violet. He hadn't talked to her in what felt like weeks, even though they had talked last night at dinner when he asked her to pass the salt. God, he was both a horrible brother and son. 

 

"I'm an awful son." Teddy said though his tears. "And a horrible brother."

 

"What? No. No, no - Teddy your an amazing son and Violet loves you." Ben reassured him, running a comforting hand through his dark curls. "Your mom and I love you." 

 

Teddy continued to cry in his father's arms. He missed this. He missed his father comforting him whenever Teddy was sad and telling him jokes only a dad knew and making him laugh. He'd been so mean and hurtful to his father - even if had a reason to be, after all, his father had cheated on his mother - and now he just felt relief and love for the man. 

 

If Teddy could forgive Tate for everything the blonde had ever done, then he could forgive his father for a mistake he made when he was in grief. 

 

"It's the darkness, dad." Teddy babbled incoherently, "Grandma was right. It finally got me. It has me."

 

"I have you. Baby, I have you." Ben shushed him, gentle rubbing his back. "I have you."

 

Teddy continued to cry and sob in his father's arms as the man held him tightly. After minutes of him crying and his father holding him, Teddy came to a heartbreaking conclusion as he spotted the prescription notes on his father's desk. 

 

He couldn't do this anymore. 

 

* * *

 

 

Teddy stood inline at the pharmacy with one his father's prescription paper in hand; he had stolen from his office. He felt bad for stealing the piece of paper but he needed it for what he was about to do. 

 

He couldn't do this anymore, he wasn't strong enough to continue on and pretend everything was okay. He wasn't strong and brave like Violet or his mother. Teddy was to weak and sensitive for any of this, for the world that he tried so hard to deny. 

 

"Next." The woman at the resister called out - Janet, her name tag said.

 

"Hi." Teddy gave her small smile and handed her the little paper, "I'm here to pick up my prescription." 

 

The woman nodded and took the piece of paper from his slender hands, "Thank you, Mister," She paused to read the paper, "Jonathan Bates." Janet gave him a smile.

 

Teddy gave her a tight smile back and asked, "How long will this take?" 

 

"About 20 to 30 minutes, sir." Janet told him, typing into the computer next to her and turning around to the slots behind her, "You're more then welcome to browse the store, or you can come back later." 

 

"I'll look around the store, thank you." Teddy told her and left to look around. 

 

* * *

 

 

Teddy walked through the front door of his house and quickly typed in the pass code to the alarm before it could go off. The bottle of sleeping pills was safely tucked away in his messenger bag. Teddy paused when he saw something move out of he corner of his eye; it was the silhouette of a boy. The boy was wearing a green top and Teddy was instantly reminded of Tate's favorite green sweater.

 

"Tate?" Teddy asked in confusion. He gripped the straps of his messenger when he didn't reply and continued to walk away. 

 

The figure moved and headed toward the direction of the basement and Teddy quickly followed after him. "Tate?" He called out again, opening the basement door slowly.

 

He walked down the steps hurriedly, his mind racing. What was Tate doing here? Was Violet and his mom okay? Were they safe and unharmed? 

 

"Tate?" Teddy questioned, turning his head and looking in the direction of the green top. 

 

Silence.

 

"I'm not playing hide-and-seek, Tate." Teddy snarled. "You have to leave now!" 

 

Teddy startled when he heard the snapping of Bang Snaps - the kind Ben would get for fourth of July of every year - behind him and the giggling of two male voices. "Get out of my house!" Teddy screamed out, running after them and further in the basement. 

 

When he turned the corner that he saw the figures run down he stopped and stared in disbelief at the woman before him. She was dressed in a nurse's uniform from the late 40s and early 50s. She was soaking wet and her hair covered half of her face, reminding him of the girl - Samara - from The Ring.

 

Teddy realized that it was the same nurse uniform the intruders had forced Violet to wear with dawning horror. 

 

"Look at what he did to me." The woman told him. 

 

Teddy turned on his heel to runaway and call the police but froze when he saw _her_. It was the brunette woman from the break in, her throat was slashed open and dripping blood. She wasn't alone either. The man with the almost shaved head stood next to her staring at Teddy with blank eyes, his face all cut up.

 

"Excuse me, sir. I don't want to bother you, but I'm hurt and needing some help." She said.

 

Teddy shoved her out of the way and ran past her, his heart racing. She was supposed to be _dead_. Tate had killed her hadn't he?

 

 _But_ , Teddy realized, _I never asked him if he finished the rest of them off_. Unless he did which meant - shit.

 

Shit, shit, shit! 

 

If they were dead and still here...then that meant that _he_ was here to.

 

No, please.

 

God, please no.

 

Don't let him be here.

 

Teddy had made it into the room that lead up to the stairs and out of the basement in record time. There wasn't a sign of any more ghosts or surprises and Teddy let out a sigh of relief. He was about to walk up the steps when he saw the man that haunted him step out of the shadows of the basement. 

 

"Miss me, baby boy?" The man asked him with a smirk. 

 

Teddy froze up in terror, staring with teary eyes at the man. His nightmare had finally come true, he was home _alone_ with the man who had tried to rape him. The man Tate had murdered for him. Teddy's breath caught in his throat and he started to shake in fear.

 

"No." Teddy whispered out, his green eyes never leaving the man's face. "No, no, no!" A warm tear slid down his cold face softly and Teddy cried out in agony, "You're dead! I saw your body!"

 

"Oh, baby. I am dead." The monster took a step toward him with a smirk, his blue eyes gleaming with both lust and rage. "And I'm never leaving you again."

 

Teddy's lip trembled and he took a step back in panic, trying to get away from the other man. "Stay the hell away from me!"

 

The man continued to step towards him when suddenly another man showed up behind him and shoved him down with one harsh movement as the unknown figure laid on top of the intruder. It was Chad. Of course he was dead too. 

 

"Go! Go, Teddy!" Chad shouted at him as he struggled to hold the man under him, "Go upstairs. Now!" 

 

Teddy didn't need to be told twice as he quickly ran up the steps and slammed the basement door shut behind him. He ran up the stairs hurriedly but slowed down when he heard music playing loudly in the direction of his bedroom. It was Nirvana.

 

"Tate?" Teddy whispered to himself, his face wet and stained with tears.

 

He walked toward his bedroom with slow steps and a weary look in his eyes. When he made it into his room there was no sign of Tate, the only proof of him being in the room was the music playing. Teddy turned his iPod off and the room got eerily quiet. Teddy turned around and swallowed, feeling dread when he saw the words written on his chalk board.

 

_I Love You_

 

Teddy could feel the tears well up again as he slid on the floor, trembling. He felt sick and horrible. Teddy sobbed quietly to himself as he pulled his knees to his chest and rested his head on them. Teddy wanted so badly to say, "I still love you too." But he couldn't. He wouldn't. 

 

 _What's wrong with me?_  Teddy wondered.  _Why me? What did I ever do wrong? Why do I deserve this? Is there something wrong with my mind?  
_

 

The man downstairs and Tate were the worst things that had ever happened to him. They broke him - especially Tate. Tate had done the unimaginable and finally broken Teddy Harmon. He done what other had tried to do in the past and succeeded. And Teddy still loved the boy, still craved his touch, his love, his affection. Teddy was forever ruined and it was Tate's fault. 

 

 _I can't keep doing this._ Teddy thought to himself with despair. _I just want it to end._

 

 _You know how to stop the pain, Teddy. Take the pills. That's why you got them, isn't it?_ The voice whispered in his head soothingly.  _You know what you have too._

 

Teddy took in a shuttering breath and slowly stood up. He wiped away at his tears with the sleeve of his sweater and grabbed the bottle of water off his nightstand. Teddy grabbed his messenger bag and pulled the bottle of sleeping pills out of the compartment it was in.

 

He stared at the bottle feeling both numb and exhausted. Teddy took the cap off and poured a handful in his hand and admired the small blue pills. He lifted them to his mouth and shoved them in, taking the cap off his water bottle and swallowing. 

 

 _You need to take more if you want it to truly stop._ The voice whispered again. _Let it set you free, Teddy._

 

Teddy took another handful of pills and took a gulp of his water, swallowing them back in a daze. He repeated this until the bottle was empty and both the pills and water were completely gone.

 

Curling into a ball on his bed, Teddy closed his eyes and slowly drifted off into a dreamless sleep. 

 

* * *

 

 

Teddy awoke to hot water hitting his skin and fingers prying him mouth open and gagging him until he was throwing up. He could feel a body sitting behind him, but didn't acknowledge in favor of leaning forward and puking his guts out.

 

The taste of vomit made him gag in disgust and he turned his head up briefly to let scolding hot water fall in his mouth. He spat the liquid out quickly when it started to burn away at his tongue.

 

Teddy looked around with bleary eyes as his curls stuck to his forehead from the spray of the shower head. He felt like shit and probably looked like it too. A hand gently pulled his face backwards a bit and gently pushed his wet curls out of his eyes for him. 

 

Tate sat behind him in the tub with his dark eyes full of sadness and sorrow as he looked at him. Teddy stared back at him with despair and misery in his green eyes as he remembered what he had done. 

 

He had almost killed himself, he had been on his deathbed  - quite literally too - and if it wasn't for Tate he'd be dead, _again_. Tate kept saving him, even when Teddy didn't want to be saved anymore. 

 

Teddy let out a choked whimper as he started to cry, his shoulders shaking, and he tried to pull away from Tate as he gripped the edge of the tub with both hands. He slipped in the water and fell back on Tate's broad chest. 

 

Sobbing when Tate pulled him close and shushed him gently - mirroring what his father had done earlier today when he comforted Teddy - Teddy let the blonde hold him close and cradle him, still sobbing his little heart out in regret when he realized exactly what he had almost gotten away with.

 

Teddy had told himself he wouldn't leave his family alone in this horrible, shitty world. Had promised himself he wouldn't do it, promised himself to live on for his parents, his sister, and his unborn sibling.

 

And he had broken his promise. 

 

He wanted to blame Tate, Constance, his parents, the monster in his basement - both of them -, even Violet for his actions. But Teddy had no one to blame but himself for being stupid and swallowing the pills. 

 

But he had wanted it so badly. The peace, the need to get away from everything, to get away from everything that was happening in his life. The pain, sorrow and misery swallowing him whole and taking him deeper into the darkness then he had ever wanted.

 

"It's okay," Tate whispered, his arms tightening around Teddy, "It's okay. I'm here now." 

 

Teddy sobbed as the water beat down on them and scalded his sensitive skin. He wanted to pull away from Tate and push closer at the same time. He stiffened up at what Tate whispered in his hair as the blonde kissed his head gently, his mind racing to what the man in the basement had said.

 

"I won't leave you ever again."

 

 

 


	20. Piggy, Piggy (part five)

Teddy flipped through the pages of the bird book he gotten for Tate at the library weeks ago. He bit his bottom lip in thought and turned to the front of the book to pull out the piece of paper with the names of people who had checked the book out.

 

And sure enough, _Tate Langdon_ , was stamped on the paper. Another clue that would have shown Teddy what was going on a lot earlier if had had just opened the book for himself and read it before he ever lent it to Tate, and had not been such an idiot. 

 

"I like birds." 

 

Speak of the devil and he shall answer. 

 

"And why do you like them?" Teddy asked him impassively.

 

Tate stood at the edge of his bed and was staring at him forlorn eyes. " 'Cause they can fly away when things get too crazy, I guess." Tate answered with a weak smile directed at him. "Are you gonna tell your parents and sister? About the pills?"

 

"No." Teddy shook his head miserably, "I've been sleeping a lot. They think I'm depressed." Teddy pressed his lips into a thin line and said quietly, "About you." 

 

"Are you?" Tate questioned, looking slightly hopeful.

 

"I'm sad." Was all Teddy said. 

 

"Me too." Tate told him, giving him dejected eyes.

 

Teddy stared back in stony silence and watched him swallow nervously under his intense gaze. It felt a little good to not be on the receiving end for once.

 

"Teddy. Something has changed in you. Toward me. You're distant, cold. I don't know what I've done but I'll leave you alone from now on if that's what you want." As Tate talked to him, his eyes started to well up with tears. And they actually looked genuine tears too. "Is that what you want?"

 

Teddy said nothing and kept an expressionless look on his face. He knew he was being cruel to Tate, but he wanted the other boy to know how he felt. To feel what Teddy had been feeling since he moved here and met Tate. He knew that he'd give into the blonde's sad dark eyes and would fall prey to him again. 

 

And he wasn't mad at himself for it either. Teddy was resigned as he knew exactly what would happen the moment he forgave Tate.

 

"You know why I'd leave you alone? 'Cause I care about your feelings more than mine. I love you." A small tear slide out of the corner of his eye as he listened to Tate's speech. "There, I said it. Not just on some chalkboard. I would never let anybody or anything hurt you. I've never felt that way about anyone."

 

Teddy swallowed and gently closed the bird book. He sat up and stared at Tate with crestfallen expression.

 

"I don't know what's wrong with me. I've seen what you can do...and yet, I still love you." Teddy told him as tears fell down his face in small droplets, "I've seen you murder a man and I still loved you even after that."

 

"You love me?" Tate asked, his voice cracking. "Even after that?"

 

 _Of course I do, you idiot._ Teddy didn't tell him.

 

"Come here." Teddy patted the empty spot next to him on the bed. Tate gave him a weary look, but obliged and crawled up next to him in the empty space.

 

When Tate laid down next him, Teddy wrapped his arms around Tate and clasped their hands together. Teddy needed this, he craved this and he missed this. He could tell the blonde did too as Tate quickly snuggled up to him and squeezed his hand softly, letting out a sigh.

 

"I'm tired." Tate spoke up in a quiet voice; he sounded worn out.

 

"Me too." Teddy replied back, his eyes already starting to drift from exhaustion as the nights spent getting hardly any sleep, finally caught up with him. Teddy murmured softly as his eyes finally closed, "Go to sleep, Tate. I'll be here when you wake up."

 

"Promise?"

 

Teddy hummed out a drowsy yes as he drifted off with his arms wrapped protectively around Tate.


	21. Open House (part one)

A week later and Teddy was pretending as if he knew nothing about Tate's past or his death at the behest of Constance who had gave him a final plea - and warning - to keep his mouth shut. Teddy played along not wanting to feel the older woman's vengeance; he had enough going on in his life to deal with Constance's drama. 

 

His mother had finally gotten two possible offers to sell their house and one of them was a definite possibility, she had told him during lunch as she ate some raw looking meat that made Teddy's gut churn in disgust. A wealthy Persian man and another man with burn scars on the side of his face.

 

Something about the last man made Teddy furrow his brows in thought as he wondered why that sounded so familiar, but he shrugged it off and left it alone his thoughts on other things.

 

Teddy still hadn't told Tate about the move yet as he feared the other boy's response. He didn't think Tate would go ballistic or try to hurt him, but he knew the blonde might do something to stop him from leaving the house. And it just hadn't come up in conversation yet as the two slowly tried to rebuild their relationship for the past week. 

 

After their confessions of love, Tate and Teddy were now officially boyfriends and dating. Teddy felt delighted by the conformation from the blonde but he also felt slightly uncertain of it. He couldn't explain why exactly, but it felt like there was _something more_ that Teddy wasn't understanding. 

 

But Teddy did what he did best and shrugged it off and moved on with his life. 

 

His family had finally exploded and was left in shambles as his parents had announced their separation and possible divorce at dinner awhile ago. He understood why and supported his mother when he found out what had happened in Boston - when Ben had supposedly been there to help an old patient out.

 

The night of the break in his dad had been in Boston with Hayden, the woman Ben had an affair with, and they were at an abortion clinic because Ben had lied again to his wife again and had cheated on her with Hayden a few months before they had moved. 

 

Teddy had been beyond pissed and enraged on his mother's behalf - again. The news hadn't been as shocking as the first time Teddy had found out about his father's affair, but it still hurt. Teddy and Ben had finally started to bond and be a father and son like they had been before Boston, before Hayden and before Tate.

 

Now Teddy was ignoring his father and pretending he didn't hear the man when he came over for his appointments in his office, and giving him stony looks and silence. Ben had looked upset at this and their moment in his father's office had been shoved to the back of Teddy's mind in favor of focusing on Tate. 

 

* * *

 

 

"My family's planning a dinner tonight." Teddy told him over the soft thrum of music as he looked though his sketchbook. The blonde was sitting on the edge of his bed and reading a book of poems that Teddy had stolen from Violet's bookshelf. Tate had just grinned and took the book from him before plopping down on his bed.

 

"Tate?" Teddy asked when the blonde said nothing.

 

"Do you believe in ghosts?" Tate asked out of the blue and making him startle at the unexpected question.

 

"Why are you asking me?" Teddy asked nervously, looking up from his sketch's of Tate to give the blonde an anxious look.

 

Billie Dean's words ringing through his head: _There are a very few souls, like Tate, who don't even know they're dead who walk among the living in childlike_ confusion. And also her other words: _We must help him cross over, Teddy_.

 

_Shit. Be cool Teddy. Be cool. You got this._

 

"I don't know." Teddy continued, trying to relax and not look so tense. "I mean, maybe?"

 

"It can't all be shit, right? There's gotta be someplace better, somewhere." Tate told him and looking thoughtful. "For people like you, at least." 

 

"Not you?" Teddy asked with a frown. 

 

Tate looked away and back at the book of poems in his hands, "Ever since you got here, this is the better place."

 

Teddy looked away from him too and back at his sketchbook in contemplation and at the drawing of Tate reading the bird book Teddy had gotten him weeks ago. The same book that Tate had checked out in 1994, before Teddy had even been born. Well shit, Tate was older then him - a lot older.

 

He bit his lip and glanced back up to see Tate already staring at him with dark brown almost black eyes. Teddy gave him a sweet smile and stood up from his desk chair to sit next to Tate on the edge of the bed. 

 

"Ever since I got here my life's been better because of you." Teddy grabbed Tate's wrist gently and stroked at the skin there. It was scarred over with numerous cuts. Teddy gave him a gentle smile, "You've made my life a lot better since we moved here."

 

Teddy leaned in and gave him a brief and fleeting kiss on the lips, before moving back as quick as he had leaned in and smiled sweetly at the transfixed look Tate was giving him. His eyes were darker then normal with arousal.

 

Tate leaned in and kissed him again, putting the book down on the floor to pull Teddy closer to him and rested a larger - larger then Teddy's own - hand on his face and pulled his face closer to his own. Teddy opened his mouth when Tate licked at his bottom lip and let the other boys tongue in.

 

Guilt swelled in his heart and Teddy kissed back harder, trying to apologize without actually saying anything. He clutched at Tate's brown sweater and pushed the blonde down on his bed to straddle him, never breaking the kiss in the process.

 

 

It was a lie, but Tate didn't ever have to know.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's short and I'm sorry but I'm tired and have to go to bed early for my upcoming classes this year. And I'm tired. Did I mention that I'm tired?
> 
> Ooh, Teddy's taking a chapter out of Tate's book and slowly manipulating Tate. I hope it didn't feel like it came out of nowhere or anything. This was kind of the plan all along, Tate manipulating Teddy and Teddy starting to manipulate our favorite blonde murderer back. But don't worry, Teddy's still very much in love with Tate and under his spell.


	22. Open House (part two)

After reluctantly pulling away from Tate and their heavy make up session - that was full of grinding against one another and moaning - Teddy made his way downstairs to eat with his family.

 

It was silent except for the occasional sound of silverware hitting porcelain plates and glasses being refilled. Moira had made a delicious pot-roast full of carrots, potatoes and broccoli salad on the side. Teddy wasn't really hungry but still ate his dinner in small bites and looked away from the tension surrounding his family in awkward silence.

 

Violet wasn't eating and barely touched her plate; instead she sat in her seat and glared at the table like it had personally offended her. And his mother had definitely noticed it too. 

 

"You're not eating." Viven stated with a sigh.

 

"I'm not hungry." Violet muttered before adding in a louder voice, "Pretty stuffed on bullshit."

 

"Violet." Teddy hissed at her from his spot next to his mother, giving her a look, "Stop it."

 

"Your mother and I know that you're upset." Ben said in his 'therapist' voice that made Teddy shoot him a dirty look too. "Maybe there's some things you want to talk about."

 

"Like who I'm gonna live with after you get divorced? Is there a third option? 'Cause both of you kind of make me want to kill myself." Violet said snidely at them. At Vivien's serious and disapproving look Violet continued on, "Is that what you guys are afraid of? Why else would you want to try to actually deal with the problem? "

 

"You never leave your room. You barely eat. These are textbook signs of depression. We're very concerned, Vi." Ben told her. 

 

Teddy had to refrain from rolling his eyes at his father's comments and giggling at the hypocrisy and irony of the situation. Violet was hardly ever home anymore, preferring to spend her time at Leah's and going on dates with the dark haired girl. His father just hadn't been around anymore to notice the change, living in a motel somewhere in LA. 

 

Teddy was the one who hardly ever left his room anymore and barley ate; Violet had been eating just fine last night when Ben hadn't been there. 

 

Violet was only depressed because they would have to change schools if they moved further away from their present neighborhood - and that meant she wouldn't get to see Leah as often as she liked anymore. Teddy couldn't blame her either, he'd be moving away from Tate and would probably rarely - if ever - get to see the blonde anymore.

 

Violet shoved away from the dining table in anger and walked away, heading off to leave the room before she stopped and turned around in the doorway with her arms crossed over her chest in defiance.

 

"Look, you guys drag me all the way out here to save our family. Then you decide to break up. You buy a house that I actually like. Then you're telling me you're selling it without even asking me what I want." Violet ranted in indignation.

 

"And what about Leah? You're making me leave her behind too." Violet glanced away with a hurt expression, before her expression got annoyed again. "So, fine. I'm depressed. But I'm not gonna off myself. So you can go back to your policy of benign neglect." And with that Violet turned on her heel and stormed off. 

 

Teddy rolled a small potato on his plate trying to avoid eye contact with his exasperated parents. He prayed in his mind that the two wouldn't start arguing again like back in Boston when the affair had been brought to light and the two had separated.

 

They would have dinners back then too, full of tension and had caused Teddy a lot of anxiety as he - more often then not - got left behind to deal with the two of them as Violet would storm off and blast her music upstairs.

 

"Maybe we should stop trying to sell this place." Vivien spoke up after a brief silence had fallen over the table.

 

Teddy's head snapped up so fast he nearly got whiplash as he gave his mother hopeful eyes. Was this finally happening? Did his wish come true? Were they really not going to move? He wasn't going have to tell Tate the bad news about the move! Excitement filled him and he smiled slightly.

 

The next words that left his father's mouth made his smile drop and depression replace whatever happiness he had just gained.

 

"I don't know. I mean, was that so much worse than usual? Given the circumstances? We need to stay on her, but we are selling this house. If that's- If that's even possible." Ben spoke.

 

Teddy pressed his lips together in a firm line as he stabbed at his carrots violently, cutting the poor vegetables in half by his strength. He narrowed his eyes at his plate and the now smashed carrots.

 

"We have two prospective buyers. One guy who's, uh, Persian, I think." Vivien told him.

 

"And the other?" Ben questioned.

 

"The other guy has this really badly burned face." Vivien answered, gesturing to the side of her face as she spoke. "I felt terrible for him."

 

Ben stiffened up at her words and paused in his chewing to frown. Teddy gave him a suspicious look but thought nothing of it and continued to stab at his vegetables, nearly sending half a potato on his mother's nice black blouse, he managed to catch it in time and his mother didn't even notice as she continued to speak to Ben.

 

"And I'm going on the Murder House tour with Marcy so that I can get all the details of what happened in this house and give full disclosure before anyone commits." Vivien said.

 

"You're only required by law to disclose anything that happened in the last three years." Ben told her with furrowed brows. 

 

Teddy pretended that they didn't have the same facial expressions as he took a drink of his Kool-Aid from the wine glass Moira had set out. He imagined he was somewhere else and drinking expensive wine, and not in a haunted house next to his separated parents who were giving one another looks that screamed hostility.

 

"I know." Vivien said in a blunt voice, "But I'm not knowingly putting someone through what we've been through."

 

"But you've got him on the hook." Ben told her in frustration, "You tell him about all the insanity in this place - you're gonna blow the sale."

 

"It's the right thing to do." Vivien said in a firm voice, unmoved as she stared at her soon to be ex-husband.

 

"The right thing to do is to get out from under this mess so we can pick up the pieces, so our children can." Ben gave Teddy a subtle look - which he ignored in favor of cutting off a piece of chocolaty goodness from the brownie's that Moira had made for a treat tonight, and that the dark haired boy had practically pleaded with her to make him.

 

"It must be so great to be able to do that to just flick a switch and be able to justify your own bad behavior." Vivien said spitefully as she gave him a hard look.

 

"My family comes first." Ben told her in irritation.

 

 _Yeah, right._ Teddy thought as he nibbled on his treat glancing in between his defiantly hostile parents. _If you actually cared about any us, you wouldn't have went back to Hayden and got her pregnant. Was that baby even yours? Hayden definitely wasn't a saint by all means._

 

"Since when?" Vivien asked him as she rolled her green eyes. 

 

Teddy stopped chewing on his brownie to stare incredulously at Ben who pointed his knife at his mother with furious blue eyes. He narrowed his eyes at his father and glowered, daring the man to even lay one hand on his mother's strawberry blonde curls.

 

"Do not screw up selling this house." Ben hissed at her.

 

Vivien just stared at him blankly as she clenched her jaw in anger. She stood up from the table with a hateful glare directed in Ben's direction. 

 

"I'm going upstairs and taking a bath." Vivien told him through clenched teeth, "And when I get out you will be out of this house and gone." 

 

Teddy stood up quickly too and grabbed the plate of brownie's off the table, giving his father a dirty look and leaving the room as well. He walked to his room - he paused at Violet's door and considered knocking but decided against it - and closed the door behind him and locked it with a soft click from the lock.

 

He sat in his desk chair and placed the brownie's next to him on the desk, picking up headphone's and placing them on to blast music from his iPod. He opened up his sketchbook to a new page and started to draw out a rough sketch of the image that suddenly appeared in his mind.

 

It was man with shoulder length hair and dressed in an expensive suit as he stood over the dead bodies of multiple people with a evil smirk as power radiated off of the man in violent waves. He was handsome, gorgeous and had an ethereal beauty to him that was so unique and made him look like a fallen angel. 

 

Teddy couldn't remember ever drawing something someone so real without having the person sitting in front of him, and even then, he sometimes got the nose wrong or made the eyes bigger then they should be. 

 

But this drawing was the best one he had drawn in a long time - if ever - and looked so real and lifelike. It was perfect. The man in the picture reminded him a bit of Tate with the man's angelic features but the devious look in his eyes would make you second guess his true attentions. 

 

When he finally finished his sketch, Teddy realized it was almost morning as the early morning sun poured into his room and made it glow with a yellow/orange shade to it. He hadn't realized he spent all night and the early hours working on his drawing. 

 

Letting out a yawn and feeling drowsy, Teddy closed his sketchbook and got under his covers and passed out without any trouble. 

 

* * *

 

Two days later and after the explosive dinner with his parents, Teddy was walking towards his room with a glass of Coca Cola in one hand and a bag of Takis in another when he heard a soft thud from the attic. 

 

He glanced up at the ceiling with a frown and listened to see if he would hear anything else. Silence. Shrugging and brushing it off, he took a few steps forward but stopped again when he heard the same sound.  

 

_Thud_

 

_Thud_

 

Placing the glass and bag on the stand in the hallway, Teddy leaned up and grabbed at the string hanging from the attic door and pulled with a tug. He walked up the steps carefully and looked around in case someone really was in there. Teddy pulled on another string to turn the light on and brighten up the place.

 

"Hello?" Teddy asked cautiously.

 

A small red ball suddenly came rolling toward him and out of the darkness of the attic. Swallowing the lump in his throat, Teddy leaned down and picked it up with a confused look on his face. Where had this ball come from? 

 

The loud rattling of chains moving against wooden floor caused him to snap his head up and it all happened so fast.

 

Teddy screamed when he saw the terrifying face staring back at him, moving toward him with a grin. The brief glance Teddy had gotten of the man showed that he obviously had craniodiaphyseal dysplasia or CDD.

 

Teddy backed away from him in terror and screamed again when he felt a broad and muscled chest stop him from moving further away. Teddy turned around and saw it was Tate standing behind him with a fierce look directed at the man behind them. Tate pulled his face in his chest and Teddy squeezed his eyes shut when he the chains rattle behind them, burrowing closer to the other boy's chest and clutching at his back.

 

Jesus. Teddy just couldn't catch a break at this point anymore, could he? His house was infested with ghosts - and there was no way in hell that man wasn't dead and haunting his attic. But that begged the question, where had the other man been when his family had come upstairs the first week of their move in the house when they found the latex suit? Had he been watching them in shadows? 

 

That thought made his skin crawl, the idea of someone - dead or alive - watching his family and him move about the house as they stood in the shadows. Had they seen everything the Harmons did on a daily basis? 

 

Shit.

 

Had they seen what Teddy did at night when everyone was asleep?

 

When he would lock his door and turned his music on high to block out his moans as he masturbated to images of Tate in various sexual positions - usually of him inside of Teddy and thrusting away into his smaller frame and Teddy would touch his hole with lubed up fingers and -

 

"You're scaring him. Go away!" Tate yelled at the man and cutting off Teddy's thoughts. 

 

Teddy let out a shaky inhaled when he heard the room go silent behind them, the chains making no more noise as if the man had suddenly disappeared. He was glad Tate said something, both for making the man go away and for cutting off his very arousing thoughts before he got a boner. 

 

That would be embarrassing and hard to explain away.

 

"Teddy, it's okay." Tate shushed him and gently ran his finger though Teddy's dark curls, "Calm down, okay?"

 

"Who the hell was that?" Teddy demanded as he pulled away from Tate to glance over his shoulder briefly. His shoulders relaxed when he saw the empty space where the man had once stood.

 

"They're from the past. The ghosts of people who've died here. They're appearing to you now because you're evolved." Tate said soothingly.

 

Teddy narrowed his eyes slightly at the last word Tate had said. What did Tate mean by Teddy was _evolved_? Did he mean to say involved instead and accidentally said evolved? Teddy had mixed up his words before and would sometimes say a word wrong too. But something in Tate's eyes gave him pause and he frowned.

 

  
"Don't be scared. All you have to do is tell them to go away, and they will." Tate told him with a soft smile and shrug.

 

"You really know your way around this house." Teddy trailed off with narrowed eyes and a frown. 

 

Tate's dark eyes flashed briefly before he suddenly looked confused, "I guess I do. I've been exploring after my sessions." A small smirk slid onto his face and he gave Teddy a playful look, "Don't tell your dad."

 

"I won't." Teddy promised with a tiny smirk, "I won't tell him shit."

 

Tate raised an eyebrow at his tone of voice but ignored it. 

 

"Do you want to see something cool?" Tate asked him suddenly, his dark eyes gleaming with something that Teddy couldn't quite place. 

 

"Sure. What is it?" Teddy questioned him. 

 

"Come on." Tate grabbed his hand and led him further into the attic and over to a wooden wall with an excited grin. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know Connie Britton has blue eyes (even tho every other source I found said she had brown eyes wtf) but she has a small ring of green around her pupils, and so just pretend that she has green eyes and Teddy got them from her please. 
> 
> If anyone can guess who Teddy was drawing, you get an imaginary cookie.
> 
> I can't believe I only have five episodes left and then I'm done with Murder House and can move onto the second season, Asylum! I've never made it this far in any of my stories, like ever, and this is a first for me. 
> 
> I also want to thank @Worldsgreatestnerd for inspiring me to keep writing and everyone else who hearts, bookmarks and comments in this story because it keeps me motivated to finish this story.


	23. Open House (part three)

Teddy watched Tate pull off a few of the wooden boards to the attic wall as if he had done it a million times, and Teddy didn't doubt that the blonde probably had done it a lot. If what Constance and Violet said were true - and he believed them at this point - then Tate had to have been living in the Murder House for _years_.

 

"Look at all this great shit I found." Tate grinned as he pulled out a weird looking jar that looked suspiciously like the jars in the basement that had ears, eyes, and other gross stuff that made Teddy's stomach churn in disgust. Teddy tried not to scrunch his nose up in distaste, not wanting to ruin Tate's mood but it was hard not to as he eyed the jar.

 

"It's really cool." Teddy said halfheartedly. He glanced behind him at the attic doors a few times to make sure his mother or sister wouldn't come up the stairs and see him with Tate - or worse - see the ghost from earlier.

 

Tate let out a giddy laugh and pulled out a few magazines with men on the cover, "Check these out." He handed him the magazines with a teasing grin. "You might like them."

 

Teddy gave him a suspicious look before taking the magazines offered. It took a few seconds for it to click in his mind what kind of magazines they were exactly and when he did, Teddy didn't know whether he should kiss Tate or hit him. 

 

It was a gay porn mag from at least the late 90s or possibly the early 2000s. The man on the cover had a shaved head and was completely naked with his ass to the picture and giving the photographer a teasing smile and flirty eyes. He was good looking, but was not Teddy's type.

 

The dark haired boy liked his men preferably less big and muscly and to have a head full of hair. Something Teddy could run his fingers through and grab onto during sex. Whenever he finally got around to it. 

 

Sure, he and Tate made out a lot and would grope each other over the clothes and rut like animals, but, they had yet to have actual sex. 

 

Teddy placed the magazine down next to him on the floor without a second thought. 

 

Tate pulled out a big boxed and placed it on the coffee table in the attic in front of them. Teddy opened it and saw rusted over silverware resting against satiny red fabric. It was pretty and still shiny even as dust and rust was covering it. 

 

"What's in the other box?" Teddy asked when he saw Tate holding a small box and gently caressing it. 

 

Tate looked up at him surprise before handing it over into Teddy's expectant hands. Teddy opened the lid and saw a photograph of a boy or girl - he couldn't tell with the vintage dress the child was wearing - from at least the 1920s sitting in a high chair with a bubbly smile and a toothy grin. 

 

He pulled out another and saw a photograph of the house he was currently living in; it looked brand new and like it had been just built. There was no fence like there was now, no garden in the front yard or anything that was currently in the house now. All the previous owners must have added they're own touch to the house over the years, making it the house it was today.

 

Teddy wondered how many of the owners and their families died in the house too. How many ghosts were currently haunting these very halls.

 

Swallowing thickly, Teddy pulled out another photograph. This one was of a family: a mother, father and the child from the first photo that was obviously their child. 

 

The father was sitting in a chair without a smile - he didn't look sad, but he didn't look happy either as he gazed at the camera with a blank look. Which honestly made his handsome features look older then what he probably was. He looked stiff and uncomfortable as if he didn't like to get pictures taken of him. Or maybe he just didn't like the chair he was sitting in.

 

The mother had a tight smile on her beautiful face as she stared at the camera with her child on her hip. She looked neither happy or sad either and just had dead eyes as if she were forcing herself to be there as well.

 

Now that Teddy could see the child up closer he could tell the child was a boy from his masculine bone structure. He was adorable and reminded Teddy of what a younger Tate would have looked like as a child.

 

"-Teddy?" Tate asked him, a hand resting on his shoulder.

 

"What?" Teddy gave him a confused look.

 

"I've been calling your name for a few minutes now." Tate told him worriedly, "Are you okay?"

 

"What?" Teddy blinked in surprise and glanced down at the photos in his hand, "Yeah. I'm fine. I was just looking at these. They're really pretty."

 

Tate smiled at him in amusement and shrugged, "Yeah, I guess." 

 

"Who are they?" Teddy questioned, not really expecting an answer but he got one anyway. 

 

"The first owners of the house." Tate scooted closer to him and leaned over to point at the people in the picture as he listed off their names, "That's Charles and Nora Montgomery and their son Thaddeus." 

 

"He's really cute." Teddy said absentmindedly as he felt Tate lean in closer to him, practically sitting on his lap at this point. "What are you doing?"

 

"I'm not doing anything." Tate said innocently even as he scooted closer, his minty breath almost hitting the side of his face. "Why? Is it bothering you."

 

Ignoring Tate, he pulled out another photo and froze when he saw it wasn't of any of the Montgomery's.

 

It was of Tate, Addy and Constance. They were standing in front of the Murder House and posing.

 

Constance looked like she normally did, wearing a dress with purple flowers on it and her blonde hair in an updo and pearls around her neck. Her smile sweet, but her eyes hard and calculating as she stared in the camera and looking slightly annoyed at the camera lenses.

 

Addy, poor sweet Addy, was dressed in a blue dress and a gray cardigan, a blue headband resting on her dark brown curls. Addy was smiling a sweet genuine smile as she waved at the camera, laughing at something the person behind the camera had said.

 

Guilt ate away at Teddy as he stared at her smiling face, trying not to think about the accident that took her life. He still hadn't told Tate about her death and felt bad for lying about someone Tate obviously cared about and pretending she was still alive. Not that the last part was really hard, Tate still thought Teddy had no clue who his mother or his family were and Teddy let him think that.

 

But it was Tate who made him pause and his blood run cold as he stared at the photograph. 

 

Tate was in the background a little further away from the other two and glaring at the camera in pure loathing and hatred, his eyes darker then Teddy had thought humanely possible, as he stared at whoever was behind the camera. His hands were clenched around a book in his hands and Teddy could barely make out the title, but the book looked familiar.

 

Teddy would hate to be on the receiving end of that glare and was glad he wasn't. Tate looked murderous, even more then the night he had killed the man that tried to violate Teddy, and ready to kill whoever the camera man was. Teddy wondered if that was the look the teens from Halloween had last seen before they died at the hands of Teddy's own boyfriend.

 

"What are you looking at that's making you so sad?" Tate questioned as he tried to lean over and look at the picture in his hands. 

 

"Nothing." Teddy said quickly, putting the photo at the bottom of the pile in his hand. He grabbed a random one from the stack and pulled it out, "I was just looking at the photo of Nora and Thaddeus." He held the one in his hand up, showing a smiling Nora and a giggling Thaddeus.

 

"Hm." Tate hummed as he eyed the photo in his hand with a melancholic look on his face. 

 

Teddy put the photos back in the box and asked in an unsure voice, "Do you mind if I take these and look at them in my room? So I could see them in better lighting." Teddy added the last part to try and not look to suspicious. 

 

Tate just shrugged and nodded, starting to put the other box up as well as the porn magazine and the jar of whatever was in there. He put the boards back on without much trouble as Teddy stood up and wiped at the dust on his jeans. Teddy watched him silence and waited for Tate to stand up too.

 

Teddy was going to leave after the other boy was done packing everything up. He had a stack of photos to go through and a bag of Takis calling his name after all.

 

"I'll see you later." Teddy told Tate as he walked off and toward the steps of the attic ladder with the small box in his hands, "Bye, Tate."

 

Tate watched him leave with a bewildered frown and a hurt look in his dark orbs. 

 

"I love you." Tate called out almost desperately, his dark eyes flashing as he watched Teddy make his way down the ladder.

 

Teddy paused at the top of the steps to give him a smile, "Love you too." 

 

* * *

 

 

Teddy sat on his bed and went through the photos again, putting the one of Tate, Addy and Constance in the bottom of his desk drawer. He didn't want to look at it anymore and put it away before Tate could see it and find it the next time the blonde came into his room.

 

A knock on his door caused him to look up from the photos and he saw it was his mother, standing in his doorway and smiling gently at him. 

 

"Can I come in?" Viven asked. 

 

"Sure." Teddy said with a small shrug.

 

Vivien sat on the edge of his bed and a small silence fell over them. Teddy looked at her in expectation waiting for her to speak. Was it about the house? Did the Persian or the other guy buy the house and they were finally moving out? Teddy really hoped not.

 

"So it looks like, uh this guy's pretty serious about buying the house." Vivien finally spoke, "I mean, we won't know officially until it's actually in escrow, but I wanted to talk to you about it."

 

"Then what? We're are we going to go?" Teddy questioned her with a frown.

 

"Then I think you, your sister and I will go stay with your Aunt Jo till we find a place." Vivien told him.

 

Teddy glanced away from her sorry green eyes and bit his lip anxiously, "What about Dad? Is he coming with us?"

 

 _Please say no. Please say no. Don't go back to him mom._ Teddy thought. _You're smarter then that._

 

"Well, Dad still has patients and- I don't really know, sweetheart." Vivien told him with a soft voice, her eyes full of regret and sorrow. "We haven't figured it all out yet. This wasn't the way it was supposed to go, honey. Your dad and I really loved each other."

 

Teddy nodded at her in acknowledgement. He felt bad for his mother, he really did. And he was pissed at his father for making her feel whatever she was feeling, but he didn't hate his father. Even after everything with Hayden and the affair and the baby he still loved his father and cared about him in a way. He didn't know if he could forgive him at the moment but Ben was still his father. 

 

The bad didn't outweigh the good though.

 

The times back in Boston before all the drama when Ben and Teddy were just father and son, when they would sit in front of the tv and joke about the movies and TV shows on and laugh at all the horrible and corny jokes together.

 

They would never get that close bond back, but they might get something better or at least have a better understanding of one another.

 

And while his mom might never forgive Ben's indiscretions, a part of her would always love his father and the two were connected to one another forever through Teddy, Violet and the unborn baby.

 

"How'd you know you loved him when you first met?" Teddy asked suddenly, his mind on Tate.

 

"Well, he was- He was handsome and kind." Vivien told him looking slightly startled by his sudden question before a melancholy look replaced it, "But I don't know. The thing is, when you fall in love, it's kind of like you go crazy and before you know it, the whole world looks different and then you'll do anything for the other person."

 

Vivien was quiet for a moment and looked at him in consideration, a glint in her eyes, before asking with a small smile, "Why do you ask sweetheart?"

 

"No reason." Teddy tried not to squirm under her stare and glanced away awkwardly. He saw the photos of the Montgomery's and quickly tried to change the conversation.

 

"Look at this." Teddy told her as he handed her the photo in his hand. 

 

"Wow." Vivien said in awe, looking at the photo of the house back in the day, "That's the house."

 

"Yeah. When it was first built." Teddy told her with a small smile, "It's really pretty, huh?"

 

"Yeah. It is." Vivien put the photo down and noticed the rest next to Teddy on the bed, "Where did you find this stuff?"

 

Teddy couldn't tell her that Tate was the one to find it. Couldn't tell her that Tate had been in their house for months - years - now and just wondering around unsupervised, his mother would freak out. He settled with a short and half truthful explanation.

 

"I found it in the attic and brought it down here to look at the pictures." Teddy answered.

 

Vivien picked up the photo of Nora, Charles and baby Thaddeus and Teddy explained to her, "That's the original owners. Nora and Charles Montgomery." 

 

His mother's eyes went wide in disbelief and she froze, her eyes going wide in shock. She seemed to be in a trance as she stared at the photo. Teddy furrowed his eyebrows in confusion and stared her worriedly.

 

"Mom?" Teddy asked, "Mom? Are you okay?" He put a hand on her shoulder and she flinched back in shock, her trance seemingly broken.

 

"What?" Vivien swallowed and looked at the photo one more time in disbelief. "Yeah. I'm fine." 

 

Teddy frowned at her but nodded anyway, "Okay. If you say so."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For some reason this chapter was bitch to write and the ending was my least favorite I've done so far. Tate was ooc and I rewrote this scene at least three times. But it's fine, I only have one more chapter left and then I'm done with Open House.
> 
>  
> 
> Note: This has been edited and the last half of the chapter added on 9/7/19


	24. The First Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Warnings: Sex, Anal Sex, Top Tate, Bottom Teddy, Kind of Sweet Sex, IDK, Horrible Grammar and Lots of Writing Mistakes (sorry), PWP, First Time, ect.
> 
> Read Ahead At Your Own Risk (I Guess) ! !

 

The house was quiet for once, nobody home except for Teddy and the ghosts currently haunting his house. His mother and sister were out for a few hours, shopping or eating dinner or whatever  it was girls did together. Teddy didn't really care because tonight was the night. 

 

He was going to lose his virginity to Tate and the two were going to finally have sex in his bedroom. 

 

Teddy had been planning this for two days, after the whole attic fiasco, and Teddy had made sure to send Violet away tonight with his mother. His sister had given him an exasperated look when he told her that he needed the house for a few hours and to distract his mother for him. 

 

 

Violet hadn't wanted to do it and told him no the first time, but after much pleading and a guilt trip later - in which he brought up the time he distracted their parents so that she and Leah could have some  _alone_ time upstairs in her room - she finally caved in and agreed to it. 

 

Their mother wasn't as hard to convince to leave the house for a few hours and she had practically jumped at the chance to leave the house. She'd looked a little upset when Teddy told her he couldn't want to go, lying to her and saying he had homework to catch up on. 

 

Which wasn't a total lie, he hadn't been to school in almost a week thanks to Tate distracting him multiple times and begging him to stay and hang out with him, and he had a lot of catch up work that Violet had been bringing home for him.

 

Right after the two had left and were pulling out of the drive way, Teddy was racing up the stairs quickly and to the bathroom. He took a bath - taking extra care to clean and scrub _everywhere_ until his skin was flushed and a red-ish pink - and washed his body in strawberry and coconut body wash and shampoo and conditioner. 

 

Teddy paused in consideration and looked at the box of pink razors by the bathroom sink out of the corner of his eye, before grabbing one of the unused pink razors that his sister used to shave and used some of her strawberry scented shaving cream.

 

He shaved his legs and hissed a few times when his skin would pinch and small drops of blood would pool in the area where the razor had previously been. Thankfully the bleeding would stop a few minutes after and Teddy washed the blood away under the shower spray, dabbing at the area's with a small towel afterwards. 

 

It didn't hurt but Teddy wondered how his mother and sister - and girls in general - could do it everyday. But then again, they were probably used to it by now.

 

Teddy was about to throw away the razor when he stopped and wondered if he should shave in other places. He poked the inside of his mouth nervously as he eyed the razor in thought before swallowing when he came to a conclusion.  

 

He squirted a few more puffs of the foamy white cream from the red bottle and placed the cream on the spot he wanted it to be and carefully started to shave in that area. Teddy was a lot more cautious and careful then he was when he was shaving his legs, doing smooth and slow strokes up and down on his bush of curly hair. 

 

When the hair was all gone from the area, Teddy turned the water off and got a big fluffy white towel to dry off with. He felt down where he had just shaved and plucked a large bottle of lotion off the bathroom cabinet and popped open the lid to squirt a couple of drops in his hand.

 

Teddy started to lather the lotion all over his body and rubbed the cream in until it was completely gone and his skin was smooth.

 

* * *

 

 

Teddy slid on a pair of his black underwear briefs and pulled his over-sized black sweater on - the one he wore on his date with Tate - and gave a brief glance over his bedroom before nodding in satisfaction and hopping on his bed with a grin, barely able to contain his excitement and glee. 

 

His room was somewhat organized and clean; the few pieces of clothing articles he had on the chair in the corner of his room, he folded or hung up. His books were stacked neatly on his desk, his little trash can clean and empty, his bed made and smelling like fabric softener and fresh flowers - courtesy of Moira who had cleaned his sheets earlier today.

 

His mind ran a mild a minute and his heart raced as Teddy thought about tonight. Teddy was under no delusions and knew his first time would be painful - especially when your partner had such a huge dick - but he hoped that the pain would fade away as fast as it had come.  

 

Teddy didn't want his first time to be painful and unbearable, to hate tonight. He wanted it to be special, even if the first part hurt and it took awhile for him to feel any pleasure at all. 

 

Even if it was excruciating and Teddy felt no enjoyment from tonight, he and Tate had plenty of time to get better at it.

 

Well, until they moved that is. 

 

Teddy immediately shoved that thought in the back of his head and frowned at the ceiling, his mood dampened by that one thought. Teddy squeezed his eyes closed and wondered.

 

What was Teddy gonna do when he finally moved? How was he going to continue seeing Tate? Was he going to have to sneak over to the Murder House and break in, even with the new occupants in the house, just to see his boyfriend? 

 

Ugh, Teddy was gonna get arrested if he did that. But if it was for Tate, he'd do about just anything to see him. Just like he knew Tate would do anything to get to him. Somehow that thought didn't send his spine tingling or made the hair on the back of his neck raise in alarm anymore.  It comforted him more then it frightened him. The thought of Tate protecting him and doing anything for Teddy made the dark haired boy feel nothing but contentment and safety. Like a fluffy, warm blanket protecting him from the cold of winter. 

 

"Teddy?" A familiar voice questioned above him.

 

Teddy's eyes snapped open and he sprang up into a sitting position to see an amused Tate eyeing him up and down with a grin as he stood at the edge of Teddy's bed. The blonde was wearing his signature sweater and ripped jeans, complete with a pair of black converse. Teddy suddenly felt under dressed as he stared at the other boy's attire but shrugged it off and smiled at Tate.

 

"Why are you always trying to scare me?" Teddy asked, his tone light and warm. 

 

"Because you're so cute when you're scared, baby." Tate answered with a grin, his dark eyes full of mirth. 

 

Teddy's cheeks felt warm and he shivered at the pet name Tate had called him: Baby.

 

His parents called him baby, sweetheart, honey and other names all the time. But when Tate said it, it made Teddy's body feel hot and flushed like he was on fire from the inside. Like molten lava was about to pour out of him at any given moment. 

 

"I'm not cute." Teddy protested with a grin, his cheeks turning a light shade of pink, "I'm adorable." 

 

Tate grinned and crawled on to the bed to hover over Teddy, his larger thighs encasing Teddy's small waist and sitting on his abdomen. He wasn't really sitting on Teddy though, Tate put more weight on his knees then he actually did on Teddy.

 

"Yes, you are." Tate lightly pinched at a flushed cheek to make his point. "You're really sexy too." Tate eyed his sweater in interest, looking like he wanted to rip the black fabric off of Teddy and see what was underneath it. 

 

Teddy looked away in embarrassment with a grin, even as his cheeks hurt from grinning so wide. He tried not to giggle but the idea of him, Theodore Alexander Harmon, being even remotely sexy made him want to burst into giggles.

 

And he did.

 

Covering his mouth with his hand, Teddy looked away as a few giggles escaped from his mouth. Tate frowned and looked affronted all of a sudden and that just made his laugh even more. 

 

"I'm sorry." Teddy apologized in between laughs, "It's just- you called me sexy and I just-" 

 

"It's okay." Tate told him looking amused now too. 

 

"Sorry," Teddy apologized again biting the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing again. He stared up at Tate with gleaming green orbs and smiled, "Hi."

 

"Hi." Tate answered back with a grin, his dimples showing. 

 

Teddy had the sudden urge to kiss him and he did. He leaned on his elbows and raised his head slightly and kissed Tate, pressing his soft and plush lips against Tate's slightly chapped lips in a soft kiss, threading his fingers in his blonde locks.

 

Tate leaned into the kiss and pressed his mouth firmly against his own, before sliding his tongue against Teddy's lips in a silent plea to be let in and Teddy happily obliged. Opening his mouth in a silent gasp, Teddy moaned softly when he felt Tate's tongue slide over his own. 

 

He started to map out the inside of Teddy's mouth with his tongue as if trying to memorize it and finding all his soft spots, licking and sucking and leaving Teddy a wrecked mess.

 

Spreading his legs a little wider to let Tate move there in a more comfortable position so the blonde wasn't slouching over to kiss him, Teddy gripped at the blonde locks in his fingers and tugged at it gently knowing the blonde liked when he pulled at his hair. He was instantly rewarded by Tate groaning and rolling his hips against Teddy's slowly hardening arousal. 

 

Teddy moaned out and rocked his hips up into Tate's in an awkward roll. He could feel Tate's own hardening cock in the outline of his blue jeans and against the thin fabric of Teddy's black briefs, which somehow made Teddy feel even hotter and he got harder in response. 

 

They rutted up against one another like awkward teenagers - which they were - and the kiss started to get sloppier and messier in response. Teddy let Tate push him on the bed until his whole body was resting on the firm mattress and spread out like a buffet, which the blonde had no problem devouring. 

 

Tate broke the kiss and started to pepper his face in kisses starting with his eyes, his nose, a peck on the lips, on his cheek, and his jaw, before he started to kiss his way down the column of Teddy's throat. Tate stopped at the point where his neck met his shoulder to suck the spot there in a gentle nip that slowly turned into the blonde sucking harshly.

 

Teddy let out a whine in both pain and pleasure when he felt the harsh sucking on his collar bone and Tate gently smoothed his tongue on the tender patch of skin and placed a wet kiss there in apology. 

 

"What were you doing?" Teddy asked in a daze. 

 

"I was giving you a hickey." Tate let out a small chuckle, "You do know what that is right?"

 

"I know what a hickey is." Teddy told him feeling a little annoyed, even if he was currently flushed and almost as hard as a rock, "Why would you do that? My mom could see it! Or worse. My dad will. And he'll kill you, Tate." 

 

"It's fine." Tate licked at the spot on his collar bone and smirked when Teddy shuddered, "He won't see it if you wear a high collar shirt or you could let Violet cover it up with her make-up."

 

Tate kind of had a point, but Teddy didn't own a lot of shirts that would cover the bruise up all the way and he didn't want to ask his sister to cover up a hickey he got from Tate. His sister already didn't like Tate and made her distaste of the blonde very clear when she told him the truth and outright glaring at the blonde whenever she saw him in the hallway or in Teddy's room.

 

"Yeah," Was all Teddy said. "Okay."

 

Tate hummed giving him a searching look before bending his head down and continuing to kiss and nip at the hickey on his collar until the skin there was sore and tender and Teddy knew it would be a huge red spot and would be there for _days_ , possibly even a week. But at the same time he didn't care - if it meant he could walk around wearing Tate's mark then he would. Tate's reassurance made him feel better and he let the blonde do whatever he wanted. 

 

Feeling a tug at his sweater Teddy looked down to see Tate pulling at the end of his sweater trying to pull the clothing off, unsuccessfully. Teddy laughed quietly and sat up a bit to help Tate pull it over his head and discard it on the hardwood floor.

 

Tate grinned when he managed to finally take the sweater off and eyed Teddy up and down in desire when he saw his almost completely naked body - save for the black fabric of his briefs - and his mark standing out against Teddy's pale body in a contrast of rough red skin and smooth milky skin. Teddy grinned back but frowned when he realized that Tate was still fully dressed and even wearing his black converse.

 

"Are you going to take off your clothes too? Or am I going to be the only one naked?" Teddy asked him, already trying to tug off the other boy's sweater. 

 

"What?" Tate blinked, his dark eyes looking startled, "Oh, yeah. Sorry. I forgot." Tate smiled at him sheepishly looking both boyish and angelic and it made Teddy's heart skip a beat.

 

Tate pulled his sweater off and over his head his blonde locks getting even messier and flung it off to the side of him. Teddy leaned back in appreciation taking in Tate's pale skin and lean muscles and his broader frame compared to Teddy's own lean one. They were the same height - 5'10'' - but their bodies were definitely differed from one another's. 

 

Teddy was obviously leaner and had a smaller frame and just seemed smaller compared to Tate. Teddy had always been thinner then his friends even back in Boston and his tall height just made him seem more narrowed then what he actually was. 

 

Tate seemed larger then him even if they were the same height. Tate had more muscle mass - not a lot but it was very obviously there - then Teddy, but he wasn't ridiculously big like the jocks who beat Teddy up months ago. No, he was just seemed to be more broader in the shoulders, arms and waist. His hands were even slightly bigger then Teddy's own.

 

The sound of a belt buckle struggling to be taken off broke him out if his admiration for Tate's body and he looked down. Teddy had to stifle his laughter when he saw Tate struggling to take off his black belt with an annoyed frown. 

 

"Need any help?" Teddy asked with a small smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

 

"Please."

 

Teddy unbuckled the belt without trouble and slid it out of the belt loops with ease. He threw it somewhere in the direction of Tate's sweater without looking where it landed, to busy trying to unzip Tate's blue jeans. Which was his first mistake as the belt hit a glass container full to the brim with markers and pens and knocked it down to the floor with a loud chatter of glass. 

 

They both jumped and turned to stare in shock and surprise at the glass covered floor. Teddy glowered at the mess on his floor in bemusement, willing the mess to clean itself. It was his fault for it in the first place but he didn't acknowledge it being his fault, to busy glaring at the mess.

 

"Maybe we should try later." Tate told him with a frown even though he looked put out by his own words.

 

"No!" Teddy yelled in alarm. Tate flinched at his loud voice and Teddy immediately softened his tone and said, "No. We might never get this chance again."

 

"What do you mean?"

 

"I- My family" Teddy took in a deep breath and steeled his nerves.

 

 _You can tell him, Teddy. You can do it._ He told himself. _He needs to hear it from your own fucking mouth before you leave and abandon him. You might never get a second chance to do it. You can do this._

 

Teddy opened his mouth again to say the words, to say, "I'm moving and I might never see you again. Because you're dead and stuck to this house and I'm not." But he couldn't get the words to leave him.

 

_Fuck it. I can't do it. I'll tell him later._

 

"We might never get the house to ourselves again." Teddy said instead, "I don't want to lose my virginity with my mother and sister home, Tate. That would suck."

 

"Oh." Tate said softly, giving him a gentle look. "You're right. That would suck."

 

"I'll clean it up later." Teddy told him as he gestured in the direction of the broken glass and scattered pens and markers. "Let's continue, okay?"

 

Tate hummed and got up from the bed so he could pull of his jeans without any trouble. And Teddy just watched him in silence with hungry eyes and biting his lip when he saw the bugle in Tate's underwear. 

 

He wondered if Tate was serious when he told his father that he was afraid his big dick wouldn't work. If Tate had a big dick, not the other stuff.

 

"Like what you see?" Tate joked and gave him a wink standing in only his own underwear, having shucked off his converse before he took off his jeans.

 

"Yeah. I do." Teddy answered honestly. Arousal and pure lust pooled in the bottom of his stomach like hot water as he continued to eye up his blonde, "I really like it."

 

"Come here." Teddy opened his long arms in waiting and spread his legs further apart to let Tate slide back in between his thighs. Tate obliged looking just as aroused as him, and slid in between his thighs without a second thought, leaning down to kiss him again with more passion and desire then before. 

 

Teddy moaned when he felt the other boys erection press against his own and pressed up firmly to rub against it, letting out louder moan when Tate pressed down in time with him with a grunt. He rolled his hips up a few more times and moaned into Tate's mouth wantonly, trying to get more of the blonde. He could feel his slick leaking through the material of his briefs and creating a wetness against Tate's own leaking cock.

 

Tate pulled away from the kiss with a groan and breathed into his neck and Teddy shivered when he felt the other boy's breath hitting the spot where Tate had been sucking earlier. Tate kissed the spot there softly in apology before kissing down his chest and stopping at his pink pebbled nipple.

 

Teddy let out a soft moan when Tate started to lick the nub with small licks his hand slowly stroking the other one with gentle rubs. Tate flicked his nipple one more time with his tongue before putting his mouth around it and sucking at it, tweaking his other nipple with a harshly gentle tug. Teddy moaned louder in repose surprised at his own sensitivity.

 

Clutching at Tate's shoulders, Teddy arched his back and puffed his chest up closer to the blonde's mouth. The feeling of getting his nipple sucked was surprisingly pleasant and sent shots of pleasure straight to his groin. If he wasn't already hard before, he differently was now.

 

"Tate." Teddy moaned out his name and rubbed against Tate like a cat in heat, his grip on the other boy's shoulder getting a little firmer then before. "Tate."

 

Tate sucked harder at his nipple before pulling off with a wet pop - that should not have been as hot as it was - his eyes were darker and looked pitch black with arousal and need as he gazed into Teddy's own green ones. 

 

"Yeah? Does that feel good?" Tate asked with a smug smirk, twisting a nipple in between his fingers. 

 

Teddy moaned out in answer and Tate's smirk grew wider, pulling at the sensitive pink nub again. Tate repeated this motion again a few more times before stopping and Teddy almost whined until he felt the hands move down - caressing his body in soft and wondering strokes - and reach the elastic band of Teddy's black briefs.

 

Teddy waited for the blonde to pull down his underwear without a second thought, but Tate didn't. His hands seemed to hover and he gave Teddy a hesitant look, looking suddenly worried for a reason Teddy couldn't place.

 

"What?" Teddy asked in confusion, "What's wrong?"

 

"I- Are you sure you want to do this?" Tate questioned him, his thumbs softly stroking at Teddy's exposed hip bones, "If you don't want to it's okay. I won't get mad."

 

"Why wouldn't I want to?" Teddy gave him disbelieving look, "Tate, I've wanted to have sex with you for months." 

 

Tate's head shot up and he looked surprised by his confession, "You have?" 

 

"Of course I have." Teddy gave Tate a smile, "I've been waiting for this for a long time." 

 

Tate perked up at that and Teddy felt relief when he did, hoping they could continue what they started before his hours were up or his mom and sister arrived home early. But Tate still looked hesitant.

 

"What?" Teddy was starting to get slightly irritated by the other boy's behavior at this point.

 

"Teddy," Tate trailed off his voice going soft and gentle and giving him sorrowful eyes, "After what happened on the night of the break in- I just-" Tate ran a frustrated hand though his hair and made it messier and stick up in awkward angles. Teddy would have found it cute at any other given moment, but not now.

 

He knew exactly what Tate was trying to get at and he didn't know whether to feel touched by the other boy's concern or feel exasperated by it. He settled for the former, it seemed lest likely to hurt Tate's feelings and that was the last thing he wanted. 

 

"Tate, It's fine." Teddy told him seriously, staring directly into the blonde's eyes, "I want this."

 

"Are you sure?" Tate asked him with a searching look.

 

"I promise." Teddy assured him with a fond grin, "I want you to be my first. I love you, Tate."

 

"I love you too." Tate answered back with an adoring smile.

 

"Now that we've established that," Teddy put extra emphasize on the last word, "Can we please continue? My family could come home at any moment." 

 

"Okay." Tate said with a laugh leaning up to give him a kiss at the same time as he slide the black briefs down Teddy's creamy thighs and down his hairless legs. Tate seemed to pause and pulled back to stare at him in fixation, his eyes getting darker in arousal, "Did you shave there? For me? For tonight?"

 

"Yeah. I shaved everywhere." Teddy looked away in embarrassment, his cheeks feeling hot, "I don't why. It just seemed like a good idea at the time and-" 

 

Tate cut him off with a hungry and passionate kiss, throwing his briefs over his shoulder and pulling Teddy in as close as he could. The kiss was more teeth meeting teeth and Tate practically devouring his mouth with his tongue then any actual kissing. But it still left Teddy breathless and clutching at the blonde.

 

Teddy let out a gasped moan when he felt Tate's hands stroking at the smooth patch of skin over his cock - almost touching his leaking and twitching member. It was a dark pink - almost red - and was as hard as stone and standing at full attention, waiting to be touched in anyway that it could be. And Tate did not disappoint him.

 

Reaching down Tate wrapped his hand around his leaking cock and gave it an experimental tug. Teddy moaned and almost cried in relief at the feel of another person's hand on his cock besides his own hand for once. Tate gave it another tug and Teddy moaned louder trying to thrust into Tate's hand with a roll of his hips, but Tate pulled away before he could even try.

 

He got up and off of Teddy and hopped off the bed, again. Leaving a flustered and shocked Teddy behind on the bed, a total wrecked mess.

 

"Hold on," Tate told him walking over to his discarded jeans and sticking his hand in the back pocket, rummaging around for a second before finding whatever it was he needed. "Here it is." 

 

Teddy furrowed his eyebrows in confusion at the small bottle until it hit him what was in the bottle. It was lube, the kind specially used for anal sex. Teddy felt touched at Tate's obvious concern for him and his first time - trying to make it as painless as possible for him.

 

"I got this on the Halloween night." Tate admitted, crawling back on top of him and between his thighs. 

 

"Oh." Teddy muttered, eyeing the bottle curiously, "Is it cold?"

 

"Dunno. Probably." Tate said with a shrug as he popped open the lid of the bottle, "It's been in my pocket for a while though so it might be a little warm." 

 

It was finally happening and Teddy felt giddy and nervous. He was gonna lose his virginity to a boy he loved more then anything but from what he could gather from the internet, it would be painful the first time and sometimes if the other partner wasn't careful they could cause anal tearing. Teddy trusted Tate though, he trusted the other boy more then he probably trusted himself.

 

Teddy sucked in a breath when he felt cool liquid and probing fingers tease at his rim teasingly, not pressing in yet, just stroking around his twitching hole with curious fingers. Teddy exhaled and tried to relax his stiffening body and trying to calm his nerves down and focused on the light shivers he got from Tate's stroking.

 

Before he could even blink a finger was pressing into him and breaching his hole. Teddy moaned loudly at that and tried to both push away from the intrusion and welcome it in. It didn't hurt, but it didn't feel good either. It felt weird but it was a curious feeling too. Teddy had never tried sticking any of his own fingers in and trying it out like most gay teens his age probably did. He just never felt like it or his family was home and he was to nervous to even try.

 

Tate moved his finger around seeming like he was trying to find something but nothing happened and Teddy relaxed further, getting used to the foreign feeling. The finger in him moved around and gently rubbed at the inside of his walls with determination, still searching for whatever it was Tate was looking for. The feeling was suddenly starting to even feel pleasant to him.

 

Teddy suddenly jolted when he felt Tate's middle finger rub against something that made him let out a keening moan and close his eyes in pleasure, rocking his hips down. It felt wonderful, amazing even, and he wanted more. The knot in his stomach tightened up in pleasure at the thought of Tate's bigger cock entering him and hitting that spot with reckless abandon.

 

"Found it." Tate declared with a smirk, rubbing against the spot again and having to use his other hand to hold down Teddy's hips to keep him from moving.  Teddy just moaned out in pleasure again as Tate rubbed the spot mercilessly his finger thrusting in and out, not giving up his pace.

 

He cried out when he felt another finger slide in next to the one still in him without any trouble the slick of the lube proving an easy passage. The finger joined the other one and the two moved against his spot over and over until Teddy was a mess. His cock was leaking harder then before and was begging to be touched. Teddy didn't touch it though, he let Tate be in full control. 

 

"You like that, baby?" Tate asked him in between thrusts. "It feel good?"

 

"Y-Yeah." Teddy managed to croak out in between moans and cries of pleasure, he fisted his bed sheets with a tight grip. He shivered at the pet name again, "It-It feels g-good."

 

Tate moved his fingers in and out for a few more minutes before taking them out for a second to pour more lube on them and putting them back in with an added third finger. And Teddy cried out at the stimulation against this prostate, feeling overwhelmed at the feeling of three fingers in his hole and the overwhelming pleasure. 

 

It felt so good and he felt stuffed like a turkey at Thanksgiving - and wasn't that a thought? Teddy could picture it now; him bent over the dinning table with Tate behind him and thrusting away into his body with arousal and desire for him. Teddy would even wear a damn frilly apron if it meant he could feel this good everyday. 

 

"D-Don't stop, please." Teddy cried out, trying to rock back on the fingers in him and meeting Tate's own pace.

 

"Wasn't planning on it." Tate said cheekily, looking fondly at him. 

 

Teddy ignored him in favor of rocking down on his fingers that probed at his prostate with delight. The feeling made him feel both full and not full enough at the same time and he wanted more. He wanted Tate in him, wrecking him form the inside and out with his big dick as the blonde liked to call it - and it was definitely bigger then his own, he could feel the outline of the other boy's cock through his boxers now that the jeans weren't adding another layer in between him.

 

"Tate, I'm ready." Teddy spoke up, his voice clear and a only a brief moan interrupted him, "I'm ready. You can put it in now."

 

"Are you sure?" Tate asked with a doubtful look but clear arousal and desire for him waning in his dark eyes.

 

"Y-Yes. I'm sure." Teddy moaned when he felt the three fingers leave his stretched and twitching hole.

 

"Okay. Just try to relax your body, okay? If you stiffen up it'll hurt more." Tate told him as he pulled down his own boxers off. 

 

Teddy glanced down and stared wide eyed at the big cock staring up at him all red and angry. He swallowed nervously, eyeing it in disbelief - Tate hadn't been kidding when he said he had a big dick. 

 

 _Jesus._ Teddy thought. _How the hell is that thing gonna fit in me?_

 

Tate didn't seem to notice his internal panicking and lubed up his cock with an excessive amount of lube, running his hand up and down his length and rubbing the lube in until it was nice and slick. Teddy's own cock was glistening with precum in arousal for what was to come, for Tate to enter him and finally take his virginity.

 

"It's okay." Tate soothed him, gently rubbing his hip bones with one hand and using his other to direct his cock towards Teddy's hole, "Just relax sweetheart."

 

Teddy inhaled when he felt Tate's cockhead enter him with barely any resistance, the previous stretching helping him along. But just when less then half his member was in Teddy, he suddenly stopped and Tate let out a grunt his hips jerking forward and entering further into Teddy.

 

Who let out a whimper when he felt the sudden movement and the cock stretch him further then Teddy had thought humanly possible. It hurt but in a pleasured kind of pain, like when you have an itch and you scratch at it until it's red and the skin is rough and dry. 

 

Tate clenched his jaw and let out a moan of his own trying to be still and not move and letting Teddy adjust to the sudden intrusion in his body - which he really appreciated, anymore movement and he felt like he might explode.

 

They stayed in that position for awhile; Tate between his legs and in him, still and not moving, and the blonde moved his leg in an angle to run soothing fingers down his ankles in reassurance - for who Teddy didn't really know.

 

After what felt like hours of this Teddy nodded and gave the go ahead for Tate to move when the pain faded away to a less painful ache. Tate gave an experimental thrust inside of him the further he got into Teddy's heat. 

 

Teddy cried out when he felt Tate brush against that spot inside of him and wrapped his arms around Tate to pull him down closer to him. Tate wrapped a hand around a slender thigh and used it as leverage to hold onto as he started to thrust into him with a steady roll of hips, and slowly gaining speed as time went on. Aiming for his prostate and hitting it with a steady rhythm and sharp jab with his pulsing cock.

 

Teddy's head fell back on the pillow cushioning him and his eyes rolled in the back of his head when he felt the intense pleasure and felt pressure build in his groin. He was so close and it felt so good, he wasn't even embarrassed that he was close to cumming so soon. He might have been had he not glanced up and saw Tate looking close to his own orgasm. 

 

Just when Tate stabbed at his prostate with ah vicious jab of his cock, he leaned down and started to stroke at Teddy's forgotten and weeping member between them with a firm grip. Teddy barely lasted four tugs before he was cumming, spilling in Tate's hand on his stomach. 

 

He closed his eyes as white took over his vision and he was seeing stars, feeling nothing but pleasureful bliss. 

 

Tate barely lasted longer then he did, spilling into him after a few more thrusts and Teddy squeezing around him with a tight pressure. He kept thrusting in him even after he came and only stopped when Teddy cried out in overestimation, Tate's cock rubbing at his sensitive walls in a steady pace. 

 

Tate finally pulled out after a moment, flopping down next to him on the bed looking blissed out and happy, his dark eyes hazy in pleasure and satisfaction.

 

A wet slick feeling between his thighs caused him to pause but he was to tired to even think about cleaning up at the moment. He would take a bath later and maybe convince Tate to join him. Teddy should have been worried about the other boy's cum dripping out of him but he didn't.

 

It felt gross and he knew he'd regret it later, but Teddy closed his eyes and rested his head underneath Tate's chin, his ear pressed against his chest, and passed out before he could clean himself up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: This is my third/four time writing a full length chapter full of sex and barely any plot besides sex and this is my longest one so far - and my longest chapter too - because of that, this will have a lot of grammar error's and mistakes but I'm trying, promise. Maybe in the future - when my writing's improved - I can come back to this story (Teddy and Tate) and edit the hell out of this story and my other ones.
> 
> This was supposed to be longer but it's almost 4 AM in the morning and I'm about to pass out on my keyboard. I wanted to update since I couldn't for the past few days so here's a chapter!
> 
> Sorry for the late update :(


	25. Rubber Man (part one)

Teddy sat on the dusty and dirty floor of the basement with the red ball he got from the attic. He scooted around on the hard cement floor trying to get into a comfortable position, his ass still stinging and aching from the other night. 

 

The night Teddy lost his virginity to Tate in his bedroom still felt fresh and the hickey on his neck was a blotchy red and tender from that night too. A constant reminder of what happened and it made Teddy feel good to wear it, even if he covered the spot up with high collared shirts and sweaters so his parents wouldn't get a glimpse of it. 

 

Not that they ever would.

 

Ben was moved out and staying in a hotel near the house, having been kicked out after his mother found out about the affair again. And his mother was constantly busy trying to sell the house and making sure the baby was okay. She had gone to at least three doctors appointment's in the last week, worried the baby was hurt or something was wrong with it. Teddy couldn't blame her for being worried after what happened to her last child, the miscarriage.

 

And Violet was to busy to hang out anymore, spending as much time as she could with Leah and away from the house and their slowly - but surely - family breaking apart into pieces. So Teddy spent all his time with Tate, even dodging going to school to hang out with the other boy. 

 

After their first time having sex, Teddy felt the sudden need to be near Tate all the time. He wanted to constantly touch the other boy, feel his body close to his own in anyway possible; hugs, leaning against one another in bed, kissing, _sex_. 

 

They had only had sex a total of two times since the first time and it was as amazing and intense as the first. It felt like every nerve in Teddy's body was on fire, every touch left him feeling pleasure and wanton. He wanted more, it was like an insatiable need for _more_. 

 

Teddy couldn't explain it in words that wouldn't make him sound like a horny teenager - which he was - or say it in anyway that made sense, even to himself. He just knew he constantly wanted more, he was horny a lot too. Teddy was a teenager with hormones and, sure, he had occasionally masturbated by himself but he wasn't always craving sex like he was now.

 

And Tate was more then willing to give it to him, letting Teddy straddle him the second time they had sex and letting Teddy be in control. Teddy hadn't cared that his parents or little sister was home, he had leaned down and bit gently into Tate shoulder trying to rein in his moans and keeping quiet as he moved his hips up and down in a furious pace on Tate's cock with said boy's help. 

 

Teddy still had finger shaped bruises on his hips from Tate's tight grip; they had turned a blue shade. 

 

Teddy rolled the ball into the darkness of the basement where the light rarely ever shone and where he thought the ghost of Thaddeus was. Tate had explained to him that the thing that attacked Amber was actually Thaddeus - or what was left of the young boy. Charles really had done a number on him; the present Thaddeus looked nothing like he did in the pictures of the past.

 

He waited in silence for the ball to roll back to him and he wasn't disappointed. The red ball rolled toward him and out of the dark corner with soft noise that was just barely audible. Teddy smiled and stopped the ball from rolling past him, picking it up and turning his hand to roll it back in the direction of Thaddeus.

 

They continued this for a while longer. Teddy and Thaddeus rolling the ball between them and not speaking, the other boy sitting in his dark and eerie looking corner. After the tenth time of rolling it back and forth Teddy asked with what he hoped was a gentle and reassuring smile, "You want to play? Come out. I won't hurt you." 

 

"Who you talking to?" Ben's voice spoke up behind him, spooking Teddy and causing him to drop the ball. It rolled in the direction of Thaddeus and disappeared from view.

 

"No one." Teddy lied. 

 

Teddy stood up from his spot on the floor and manged to hold back a slight wince as his lower back ached in protest from the sudden movement. His father gave him a measuring look, his blue eyes glinting with suspicion as he eyed Teddy. 

 

"Come upstairs." Ben finally said, "There's something we need to discuss."

 

"Shit." Teddy muttered as he brushed past his father and up the stairs with a frown. 

 

The school probably finally called his father about Teddy's absences and his inability to show up to school for the past week and a half. Teddy didn't really care about school but even he knew it was important. Teddy didn't think for one second he was gonna be like his father and have a somewhat high paying job. He was probably gonna be stuck working minimum wage at a gas station or restaurant or something else that paid 15 to 20 dollars an hour. 

 

* * *

 

 

"I just got off the phone with Mrs. Levinson." Ben said after they sat down in the chairs in his office. Teddy suddenly felt like he was being interrogated or he was a patient of his father's. He didn't like it. "Teddy, you haven't been to school in two weeks. What is going on?"

 

"I don't like it there." Teddy told him bluntly, seeing not point in lying, "It's boring, and they bully me. I don't want to get beat up, again."

 

"What does that mean?" Ben asked, his therapist facade on.

 

Teddy scowled at his father and gave a scoff. He couldn't believe his father! Teddy finally tries to be truthful with him and tell him whats going on, and his father treats him like some god damn patient of his that he was seeing for a thirty minute session.

 

"That is so like you. Some kids say they're bullied and their parents just pull them right out." Teddy shook his head in bemusement, crossing his arms, "You ask me to define bullying."

 

"Have you told your mom about this?" Ben asked him.

 

Teddy scoffed again and rolled his eyes in annoyance, "How is it that a big, fancy shrink hasn't noticed that his wife has totally lost her shit?"

 

His mother had been acting weird lately - not that Teddy could blame her - she hadn't been getting enough sleep anymore and would stay up almost all night, constantly checking on Teddy and Violet.And she started to eat some weird looking meat that Constance kept bringing over and giving her. The meat honestly looked like raw brains - the kind you'd see in zombie movies and it was seriously gross to look at.

 

"Teddy, look at me. Look at me." Ben demanded, his tone suddenly worried and he looked and sounded like the caring husband and father he once was, "What's going on with her?"

 

"Well, when she's not in bed or worrying about absolutely everything she's eating raw brains." Teddy told him bluntly, trying and failing to not roll his eyes, "Maybe she thinks the twins are stealing hers 'cause that's kind of how it seems."

 

Teddy loved his mother to death but here lately she was more involved with herself and didn't talk to Teddy and Violet as much as she used to. Vivien was constantly having a freak out somewhere in the house on a near to daily basis and was always hitting her panic button at the smallest thing. 

 

The black cop that had been stationed to check out there home when she hit the panic button always showed up within minutes of the button being hit. Teddy was pretty sure the guy had a thing for his mother and was always lightly flirting with her when he showed up and made sure the house was safe. His mother either didn't notice or didn't care enough to tell him to stop. Or maybe she was to busy freaking out over anything to even notice and care. 

 

"Well, it sounds like, um, your mom is depressed and you're feeling very alone and isolated." Ben said.

 

"This isn't about me. I'm saying Mom's crazy, and it's your fault." Teddy sat up in his chair with a small smirk, his temper flaring, "You drove her crazy. You're a cheater. Young girls, old ladies with feather dusters. You're so weird and pathetic. I'm surprised you haven't gone after me or Violet."

 

"I'm still your father. Do not talk to me like that." Ben told him sternly with a frown on his face.

 

Teddy rolled his green eyes. His father wanted to play the caring father and husband card? Then he could get a new family, a new son, and go play house with them. Teddy was done. Done with his father's bullshit and done with this conversation.

 

"I don't have anything more to say anyway." Teddy stood up from his seat and walked past his still sitting father, "Session's over anyway."

  
"Teddy." Ben called after him. Teddy ignored him and walked up stairs to his room.

 

* * *

 

 

Teddy was shaken awake by his mother at almost 3 in the morning, her worried and paranoid face staring down at him as Violet stood behind her with a frown. 

 

"Teddy. Teddy, Wake up." Vivien spoke as she continued to shake him. When she saw his green eyes pop open she stopped and started to pull clothes out of his dresser drawer, putting them into a black duffel bag.

 

"What's going on?" Teddy managed to slur out as he pushed his covers off. He watched his mother throw his clothes in the duffel at random and eyed his sleepy sister as she nodded off in the doorway. Her brown eyes were alert and focused though as she watched their mother as well.

 

"We're leaving this house tonight. We're going to Aunt Jo's." Vivien told him. 

 

Teddy stared at his mother in shock and disbelief giving his sister a look that she returned, both exasperated by the sudden turn of events. His mom decided that tonight was the night they were finally leaving huh? Why now of all times? What made his mother decide that she finally had enough of the house and was ready to leave now? Someone had to have said something to the very distraught woman and Teddy had a feeling he knew who feed into his mother's paranoia. 

 

His mother's paranoia was starting to get out of control and Teddy was starting to get even more worried, and he was a little irritated by his mother's sudden mood swings. He knew she was pregnant and was very hormonal right now but still, she could take a chill pill. 

 

"What?" Teddy got out of bed and watched his mother's slightly erratic movements with concern. 

 

"We're not spending another night here." Vivien zipped up his duffel bag and grabbed another one on the floor by her feet. Teddy just stood there in silence and watched her with wide eyes, not moving. "Now Teddy!" 

 

That startled Teddy into action and he reached down by his bed to quickly slid his converse on and tucked the shoe laces in the inside, barely having time to tie them as his mother hauled him up with one hand. She was surprisingly strong for a pregnant woman. 

 

Teddy barely managed to grab his hoodie off his desk chair before he was being dragged out of the room and down the stairs. Violet took the lead and his mother followed after her, letting go of Teddy's hand to pull her cars keys out of her pocket and grabbing Hallie on the way out. He quickly zipped up his hoodie as they walked across the lawn and toward the car. 

 

The air was cold and nipped at Teddy's cheeks, his face heating up to accommodate the cold weather. His breaths came out in frozen puffs as he caught up to his mother and sister. Violet was already in the front seat and buckled up with hurried movements as their mother put their bags in the backseat trying to rush Teddy, who was stumbling after them.

 

Teddy finally manged to catch up to them, coming up behind his mother and throwing his bag in with the rest. This was ridiculous. Teddy was still half asleep and tired as hell, and his mother decided that tonight was the night they finally left the Murder House. Sighing, Teddy helped his mother put the other bags in with great reluctance that only a teenage boy could pull off. 

 

After they finally got every thing put up and away they made their way to their respective car doors. Teddy was about to get in the backseat when he spotted something out of the corner of his eyes - the figure of a boy.

 

Tate was jumped off his front porch and even this far away Teddy could see his dark eyes glittering with tears. He looked like he was about to cry and Teddy felt heartache as he looked at the other boy's heartbroken face. Guilt ate at him and clawed away inside of him, his throat going dry and his eyes stinging with tears that wouldn't fall. 

 

He never got around to telling Tate about his parents decision to sell the house and move away - away from Tate and the other ghosts of the house. Teddy told himself multiple times he would get around to telling Tate but had put it off for so long. And now he was leaving and probably wouldn't see his boyfriend ever again. 

 

 _Please,_  Tate's eyes begged him from across the lawn, _Don't go. Don't leave me._

 

 _I'm sorry._ Teddy didn't say, giving the blonde a sadden look and swallowing the lump in his throat.  _I love you. I'm so sorry._

 

Tate's lips trembled as looked at him with despair and misery, his dark eyes glittering with tears that looked ready to fall at any given moment. Teddy watched with a heavy heart and teary eyes as the blonde walked away and out of sight, his eyes never leaving Teddy's face. 

 

God, he should have told Tate earlier - about selling the house and moving away. About probably never seeing Tate again, never seeing his smiling face. Never seeing the light enter his eyes when Teddy did something that made Tate happy; getting him a book about birds or letting the blonde sleep next to him bed. 

 

Never get to hold Tate again and never be held by the other boy again. Teddy sounded like those love-struck teens in movies and TV shows he never liked or understood, but it was the truth. Even if it was dramatic or whatever, it _was_ the truth. Teddy would probably never get to see Tate again if his mother and father had their way, his mother wanted to move across state to get away from this damn house.

 

Before Teddy could open the backseat door and get in his mother and sister were screaming. Violet practically flung the door open with hulk like strength and Teddy barely had time to get out of the way as the door almost hit him in the side. He managed to move and his reflexes kicked in and he jumped out of the way as quick as possible.

 

His mother continued to scream as she ran after Violet and in the house, leaving a shocked and bewildered Teddy behind. He cautiously leaned down and looked into the backseat window but all he saw was a growling Hallie and a duffel bag there. 

 

What the hell was going on? What had freaked his mother and his unflinching sister into running away? Something had to have been in the car with them to scare them away so quickly and the way they were screaming made him think it was bad.

 

A thought crossed his mind and Teddy closed his eyes with a sigh escaping his lips as he rested his head against the cool metal of the car. He stayed like that for a moment, his thoughts racing and trying to gather his cool, before opening the car door and grabbing a now quiet Hallie from the back seat. He closed the car door and walked his way into the house where his family most likely was waiting. 

 

He knew without a doubt his mother was going to be calling the police and they would arrive any minute now. Especially that cop that had a thing for his mom, he was always coming to her aid. Teddy would applaud the man if his father wouldn't be showing up either and the last thing he needed - or wanted - was a jealous and pissed Ben.

 

Teddy opened the front door and closed it behind him a thought weighing heavily on his mind that he hoped wasn't true. 

 

The ghosts were finally starting to come out and they were pissed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought it was weird that Vivien didn't grab Hallie on the way out - I didn't see the dog in the car or even near Violet and Vivien - as they left the house. I know she probably wasn't thinking and was just trying to leave as soon as possible but still...Don't leave the dog behind, Viv. And so I added Hallie to the scene even if it was brief.


	26. Rubber Man (part two)

After the cops finally left and his mother and sister were quietened down - Leah having arrived a couple of minutes ago and leading Violet away - Teddy made his way to his room with heavy eyes and a frown. 

 

His mother told the police that the intruders form the break in had come back to finish what they started. That two of them were in the backseat and waiting for the trio in the car. Teddy hadn't been able to agree or disagree with her story as he hadn't been in the car, Violet and his mother had been the only ones to see the duo in the backseat. 

 

Teddy felt a pang of guilt as he had watched his mother's frustrated face as the police eyed her with caution and disbelief, not really believing her story. His mother was slowly becoming the boy who cried wolf and Teddy was scared the next time they called the police for something serious they wouldn't come. 

 

And wouldn't that be the Harmon luck? To finally have something bad and seriously life threatening happen and no one would believe them because of his mothers paranoia and fear of literally everything nowadays. She called the police or hit her panic button so many times in the recent weeks that Teddy was on a first name basis with a few of the cops.

 

When he opened his bedroom door Teddy was greeted by the sight of a distraught and visibly upset blonde. Tate eyes were still filled with tears, but he looked more angry and hurt then sad and sorrowful. The blonde was sitting on the edge of his bed and facing the door with a clenched jaw. Tate looked up when he heard Teddy open the door and was just staring at the dark haired boy with an upset frown. 

 

"I'm sorry." Teddy told him after a long pause of silence. His eyes welled up with tears again and he swallowed the lump forming in his throat harshly. "I-I was going to tell you. I promise that I was. I just-I just got so busy and distracted with everything and I didn't want to hurt you."

 

"But you did hurt me." Tate said wounded. 

 

"Tate-"

 

"No!" Tate stood up from his seat on the bed and stood in front of Teddy. "You hurt me. You lied to me." With every word from the blonde Teddy felt a stab in his heart, he clenched his jaw and willed himself not to cry but it was hard. Tate's dark eyes were gleaming with tears as he said, "I trusted you to not hurt me and...you did. You hurt me, Teddy."

 

"I'm sorry." Teddy choked out, his shoulders hunching into himself, "I'm so sorry." 

 

Teddy felt tears slip down his cheeks in warm wetness and his lips trembled as he glanced away from Tate's heartbroken face, dejectedly. He felt pathetic and felt like shit, and he probably looked like it too. 

 

He didn't want to lose Tate, even after everything - especially after everything they went through. Their story wasn't over and Teddy wasn't going to let go Tate with out a fight. 

 

Mentally steeling himself Teddy stood up straighter and wiped at his eyes with the sleeve of his hoodie. He looked straight into Tate's eyes and almost faltered when he saw the misery pooling into his dark eyes. 

 

"I'm sorry." Teddy said again. Tate opened his mouth and Teddy continued hurriedly, "I am. I should have told you I was moving. But I was scared and I thought maybe my mom wasn't going to sell the house and I'd live here - with you - forever. And we'd be happy."

 

Tate started to soften up a bit and Teddy continued with a hopeful smile. "I was selfish and I didn't want to ruin the good thing we had going on. I wanted to be happy with you for a little while longer. Before I had to leave. And I thought I would have more time to tell you, but I didn't. I know that now and I'm sorry." 

 

"Were you ever going to tell me?" Tate asked quietly. When Teddy didn't answer quick enough he continued on, his voice getting louder and angrier, "Or were you just going to leave and never come back? You were going to leave me!"

 

"What? No! I was going to find a way back. I promise I was. I just had to leave for awhile but I was always going to come back to you." Teddy hurriedly told him. 

 

"Liar!" Tate hissed, his eyes gleaming with an unknown emotion that Teddy couldn't quite place. "You're lying to me."

 

Teddy cupped Tate's cheek with one hand and cradled the side of his face, "I'm not lying Tate. I wouldn't lie to you, ever. I promise." A lie. Teddy had lied to him multiple times by now - about Addy, Teddy knowing who his mother was, but Tate didn't need to know about any of that. Teddy was only trying to protect him. "I love you. I'm in love you."

 

Tate sighed and leaned into his hand looking miserable. His eyes still had shine to them but he seemed a little calmer - still angry for sure, but definitely calmer then before. Teddy leaned forward to kiss Tate and mentally sighed when he didn't pull away or do something worse. Tate actually seemed to lean in further and relaxed into his hold and the kiss, pressing their lips together softly.

 

"I love you." Teddy repeated with a softer tone, stroking Tate's cheek with a thumb. He gazed into the other boy's eyes with a searching look and smiled in satisfaction when he saw the forgiveness in his eyes.

 

"I love you too." Tate had a possessive look that made him shiver - in want or alarm he didn't know and he didn't really care either. Tate leaned back in for a kiss and Teddy let him have it, pressing against the other boy and letting Tate guide him toward the bed.

 

Teddy didn't know if this was how a healthy couple fought and solved their problems - with sex and kissing - but he knew that he was glad it was over and Tate had forgiven him.

 

He wanted to bask in this brief moment of happiness before he had to leave Tate.

 

* * *

 

The next morning Teddy laid in his bed with a cigarette dangling from his lips and a blonde resting comfortably next to him. Tate had his head resting in his lap letting out hums of contentment as Teddy carded his fingers through the blonde locks. 

 

After the night before Teddy and Tate had been worn out and tired from the previous events. The drama, the conversation, the sex. It had taken a lot out of them both and they were exhausted mentally and physically. Teddy had passed out toward the end with Tate's cock still hard and pulsing in him as the blonde continued to thrust into him.

 

Teddy inhaled a puff of smoke and held it in for a long moment feeling the smoke burn his lungs and leave a bitter taste in his mouth. He exhaled the smoke and lightly scratched at Tate's hair when he shifted so he was looking up at Teddy who was looking down at him with a glance. 

 

"What?" Teddy asked when Tate continued to look at him and say nothing. 

 

"Did it hurt?" Tate continued when Teddy gave him a confused look, "I never asked if it hurt the first time. It usually does." 

 

"Oh." Teddy raised the cigarette to his lips and inhaled. He gathered his thoughts and thought about the night in question. "It did." Teddy said eventually, the grey smoke swirling around them when he opened his mouth to speak. Teddy admitted in a quietly, "But I liked it." 

 

"You did?" Tate asked, looking surprised and aroused. 

 

Teddy rolled his eyes and let Tate have a puff off of his cigarette, the blonde holding his wrist in place to get a hit and exhaling afterwards. "Yeah. It felt good. It was really intense too. But it's always intense when we do it."

 

"For me too." Tate agreed with a grin his dimples showing. 

 

It was quiet again with Teddy smoking and giving Tate a few hits as he gazed at the blonde's face. Tate looked peaceful, a different look from last night, and serene with his angelic features and boyish grin. He didn't look like a ghost or even dead. He looked like a real teenage boy you'd see at school everyday. Tate looked very much alive and not like a walking corpse. 

 

"You're really here aren't you?" Teddy muttered to himself, taking a finger and dragging it along Tate's angelic and sculpted face, "It's not my imagination."

 

"Of course. I'll always be here." Tate promised, gazing up at him with a soft look in his eyes. Teddy rested his thumb at the bottom of Tate's lip and pressed down, stroking gently. "If that's what you want."

 

"They'll always be here too, won't they?" Teddy questioned, his mind on the other occupants of the house. At Tate's confused look he added, "The ghosts."

 

"They can't hurt us, Teddy." Tate reassured him. "I won't let them." Teddy nodded in agreement and moved his thumb away from Tate's mouth reluctantly. 

 

Teddy fiddled with the cigarette in his hand for a moment, thinking. His mother and sister had seen the intruders - whatever their names were - last night and now his mother was on a major freak out. His father had arrived this morning to see what the hell was going on and Teddy could tell because he could hear them arguing downstairs this morning on his way to the bathroom.

 

"Violet and my mom saw them." Teddy added, "The freaks who tried to kill us awhile ago. Mom thinks they're back to finish what they started." Teddy took a puff and frowned down at Tate. "I mean, she called the police, and my dad rushed over this morning."

 

"They're just trying to scare you. That's all they can do now." Tate told him. 

 

"I wish I could tell her that." Teddy muttered, glancing away from him.

 

Tate sat up quickly on the bed and gave him a panicked look. He seemed afraid and very nervous as he looked at Teddy, "You can't. You can't. You can't." Tate repeated to him.

 

"Tate-"

 

"Teddy, if you tell anyone what we know, they'll say you're crazy. They'll want to lock you up." Tate told him hurriedly. Teddy almost flinched when he grabbed his hand in a firm grip, not letting go or letting his grip loosen. "They'll try to take you away from here."

 

Teddy swallowed at the hysteric and wild look on Tate's face. He wasn't scared - not of Tate - but it was slightly off putting and concerning. Teddy gripped the hand in his own to reassure Tate and calm him down slightly. Tate visibly softened but the scared look in his eyes didn't fade.

 

"We'd never see each other again." Tate told him seriously, gazing into his green eyes.

 

Teddy opened his mouth to say that he'd never do something like that to Tate when his mother's voice yelled from downstairs, "Violet! Teddy! Can you come downstairs?"

 

"Coming!" Teddy yelled at the same time as his sister did. 

 

He sighed and looked at Tate with a frown. Teddy didn't want to leave the blonde hanging and wanted to stay and comfort him - it was the least he could do after last night - but his mother needed him and he didn't want her or his dad to come upstairs and see him and Tate in bed together.

 

It didn't take a genius to figure out what the two had been doing earlier, the air smelled stale and distinctly of sweat and sex. Teddy had a bruise the size of Texas on his collar bone from Tate, who had spent a good portion of last night sucking a hickey there. Teddy had let him, knowing the blonde needed to be in control and needed it to feel better about himself and Teddy.

 

"I won't tell her. I promise." Teddy told him as he got up from the bed and pulled on a random pair of jeans from his bedroom floor. They felt big around him and Teddy instantly knew they were not his jeans but they belonged to the blonde boy on his bed. "I'll be back, okay?"

 

"Okay." 

 

* * *

 

 

Teddy made his way to the foyer - or whatever the room was called -  and saw his sister standing in the doorway with a frown as she glanced between their parents curiously. Teddy stood next to her and leaned on the door frame with a frown of his own, eyeing his visibly upset mother and his cross looking father.

 

"What's going on?" Violet asked them.

 

"Um, honey, would you please just tell your dad about last night?" Vivien asked her in a tired voice.

 

"Go on, honey. It's okay." Ben reassured her, giving Vivien a look.

 

Teddy frowned harder at the tone of voice from Ben and glare his mother sent him. Something was going on and Teddy didn't know if he wanted to find out or stay in the dark.

 

Violet paused and opened her mouth to speak. Teddy realized with a panic that she was going to tell them about the ghosts in the house, about Tate and he shot her a look that screamed ' _Shut up. Don't say anything._ ' He mentally pleaded with her.

 

If his parents believed Violet - which they probably wouldn't - they would grab them and run away as fast as possible. If they didn't then there was a very big chance that Tate was right and his parents would have violet locked up. Teddy didn't want that for his little sister. Sure the two hadn't been as close as they once were but they still cared about each other and Teddy didn't want to see his sister locked up in a nut house.

 

Teddy gave her a pleading look and Violet gazed at him with uncertainty before sighing and glancing back at their parents with a frown. 

 

"I saw Mom really upset." Violet said. 

 

Teddy let out a sigh of relief at her answer and relaxed his stance. His sister listened to him and wasn't going to spill the secret about the house to their parents.

 

"Just tell him what you saw. What you told the police." Vivien told her comfortingly.

 

"I told them what I thought you wanted me to tell them." Violet spoke looking upset and troubled as she looked as her mother. Teddy felt bad for lying but it was to protect Tate and what his family didn't know wouldn't hurt them. "I didn't see anything."

 

"Violet." Vivien gasped out looking at her in disbelief.

 

"I'm sorry, Mom." Violet said through clenched teeth and gave Teddy a dirty look out of the corner of her eye, "I don't know what you saw. You were so upset, so I was upset. I still am."

 

There was a silence in the room as their mother looked at Violet in shock and Violet glared at the hardwood floor with teary eyes. Teddy felt guilt swim in the pool of his stomach but ignored it in favor of staring at the ceiling with a frown.

  
"Okay, honey, you can go." Ben said eventually.

 

Violet gave Teddy one last glower before she left and Teddy just smiled at her which just made her glare harder. 

 

"Teddy." Vivien gave him a pleading look which wiped the smile off his face completely. "Tell your dad about the-about the people in the car sweetheart."

 

Teddy looked away from his mother with a guilty expression. While it was true he didn't see them, he did believe his mother and sister without a doubt. But he couldn't tell them that. He had to protect Tate and the other ghosts - even if he didn't like it and it hurt his family.

 

"I didn't see anything Mom. I wasn't in the car with you guys. Sorry." Teddy said.

 

"No. But you stayed out there for awhile to grab Hallie, remember?" Vivien said with a slight hysteric edge to her voice. "You grabbed her out of the car, remember?"

 

Teddy swallowed and gave his mother an emotionless look, "And I didn't see anybody in the car. Only Hallie."

 

"Teddy." Vivien whispered his name and it hurt him.

 

He didn't want to make his mother believe she was going crazy and seeing things but he couldn't tell her the truth. Not if he wanted to lose Tate. He managed to say, "I'm sorry Mom."

 

"You can go too, Teddy." Ben told him with a frown directed in Vivien direction. "You're mother and I need to talk."

 

Teddy nodded silently and turned to leave, not looking back at either of his parents. Guilt weighed in him and overwhelmed his sense, but Teddy made his decision and he was going to stick by it.

 

No matter what.

 


	27. Rubber Man (part three)

 

Tate sat in his favorite rocking chair in the basement with a contemplative look on his face. His mind racing with thoughts - thoughts he tried to shove away and forget, but they ate away at him. Picking away every dark crevice until the darkness flooded in like a rushing wave or flood.

 

He didn't want to think about them - the darkness in him but all he could do was think. Tate was trying to do better. Trying to be better for himself and for Teddy. And he was actually doing it, he hadn't killed anyone since the night of that break in when that asshole tried to take what was obviously his. 

 

Tate had his revenge though. He killed the bastard and when his ghost showed up in the house later - much to his distaste and even the other ghosts of the house - he killed him again and again and again until his anger and loathing for the man was diminished a little. It was still there of course, but it would soothe away when Tate stabbed or found new ways to kill the man. 

 

Frowning, Tate glared at the wall in front of him as he continued to get lost in his head. His thoughts got jumbled up the more he thought and remembered everything that happened last night.

 

Vivien wanted to take Teddy away from him and leave the house forever. Tate had been angry and upset when he saw Vivien come into Teddy's room in the middle of the night and wake the dark haired boy up to leave the house. Rushing the green eyed boy who sleepily followed after her and Violet - another Harmon he didn't particularly care for either - out of the house.

 

And Teddy hadn't told him he was leaving or moving not _once_ the whole time they were together. Tate had thought for a moment that Teddy was going to run to him last night when they gazed at each other across the lawn but Teddy hadn't. Teddy had just given him a miserable look and tear filled eyes instead. 

 

Tate had been furious by that and had sent his 'minions' - as Moira liked to call them - out and to scare the two women from leaving.  He did not want to reveal the truth to early to his baby. To his sweet and innocent Teddy, who would most likely break at the news.

 

If Teddy ever found out the truth - Tate was slightly scared at the thought of his boyfriend finding out about the truth. About what really happened that day with the pills or, even worse, about Vivien and the baby.

 

Teddy would never forgive him and would hate him forever and now that Teddy was stuck here with him to, Tate knew it would take an forever to win back the other boy's trust. But Tate did have forever and he would wait for as long as it took to have Teddy back if that ever happened. Tate would wait for eternity for him. He loved Teddy and didn't want to let go of him.

 

"Aw." A feminine voice rang out in the basement. Tate looked over to see it was the girl that Ben had killed - well helped to cover up her body. Larry did the actual killing. Tate didn't think the guy had it in him but he did apparently.

 

Tate barely gave her a glance before going back to his thoughts. He internally willed the bitch to disappeared and leave him to his thoughts and the plan slowly forming in his head.

 

"Look at Little Lord Fauntleroy." Hayden drawled out mockingly, not leaving and Tate sighed in annoyance. "Writing sorrowful sonnets in your head to that little nightingale bitch? 'Adieu, nightingale. Thy plaintive anthem fades.'"

 

"That's Keats." Tate told her with an eye roll. 

 

"Who gives a shit?" Hayden walked over so that she was standing in front of him with an irritated look on her face, "You're like a girl, sulking down here in the basement instead of doing something about what's really bothering you."

 

"I'm tired of hurting people." Tate said, giving her a dark look from his seat. 

 

"Do you want him to go away? 'Cause Vivien booked their tickets. I heard her." Hayden told him with a smirk.

 

Tate looked away and glowered at the wall enraged, his blood boiling. He hand't known that and it pissed him off even further. It fed the darkness polling in him. He'd been so upset - and heartbroken - about Teddy lying to him and then the two had preceded to have sex afterwards that Tate hadn't had time to gather his thoughts and reflect on them.

 

It was hard to think when you have a minx like Teddy trying to swallow your dick and ride you. It was just hard to think in general with his presence anywhere near Tate. Every time the two were in close proximity it felt like a spark was igniting inside of Tate or a volcano was about to erupt from the inside. 

 

Teddy made him feel things he had never felt before, both when he was alive and when he was dead - especially when he was dead. The dark haired boy and his pretty green eyes made Tate's heart flutter and squeeze almost painfully in his chest. Tate was in love with Teddy and he knew the other boy was too. 

 

 

"You know what you have to do." Hayden continued and startled him out of his thoughts. 

 

"Yeah, I do." Tate said with a clenched jaw as he plotted a way to get rid of Vivien. He need that baby - he refused to call it his - for Nora. But he wasn't about to let Teddy go either and he quickly thought of a way to rid himself of both problems. "I just have to prepare myself. It's not fun."

 

"You want to fool around while you work your way up to it?" Hayden asked, fluttering her eyelashes at him in what she probably that was a sexy look. It was definitely not sexy.

 

Teddy did it so much better. Teddy's eyelashes were naturally dark and long and when he fluttered his eyes at Tate - whether it was intentional or not - he looked like a literal angelic being or one of those Greek statues at history museums. It made arousal build in the pit of his stomach and it made Tate want to grab him close and protect him, but it also made him want to ruin the other boy.

 

It made him want to bend Teddy over the nearest surface and fuck him as brutally as possible. But Tate didn't in fear of hurting Teddy or pushing him away. Then again, Teddy didn't seem to mind him being rougher then usually last night and even let him mark up his skin until it was red and blue.

 

Hayden kicked the box that Tate's feet were resting on, "Come on." She straddled his lap her smaller legs resting atop his larger ones. Hayden rolled her hips against his seductively, in a slow pace before reaching down and grabbing at his dick and trying to get it to harden.

 

"I'm not into it." Tate told her bluntly. It was true, he wasn't hardening at all and his skin crawled a little when she started to stroke at the bulge in his pants. It wasn't erect, he was just big. Teddy seemed to like his big dick and Tate was more then willing to give it to him. Only him. And he was wearing the other boy's pants so it made his crotch look even bigger then normal. Teddy stole his earlier. 

 

"What is it about being dead that makes me so horny?" Hayden muttered to herself, eyeing his lips in hunger and leaned down to kiss him. 

 

Tate had enough. He grabbed her by the throat and hauled her off of him with clenched teeth and a glare, "Quit it." He pushed her against the wall of the basement and glared at her in anger, "I'm in love." He let go of her throat and she glared back at him with anger fueled eyes. Tate gave her one last look before turning on his heel and leaving the basement. 

 

"You better locate your balls before you go in there! That bitch is tough!" Hayden screamed after him in rage.

 

 _I know._ Tate thought darkly.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tate is so ooc but like, I tried. Tate's so hard to write for honestly but I'm getting slightly better at it. I love him (even though I probably shouldn't) and writing him is fun, if a little intense at times.


	28. Rubber Man (part four)

Teddy had been having a late night snack when he heard it. The sounds of his mother screaming and then a huge _bang_ as the sound of a gunshot went off upstairs. He dropped the pizza pocket he had been holding and flew up the stairs in a panicked state. 

 

When he made it up the stairs and in the doorway of his parents bedroom he froze in horror when he turned the light switch on.

 

His mother was sitting on her bed - unharmed and holding a fucking gun - in shock staring at something on the floor and Teddy followed where she was looking in confusion. He gasped when he saw his father laying on the floor holding his side as blood dripped from his fingers and his shirt was bloodied. 

 

"Oh my god." Teddy muttered in shock, his eyes wide and frightened. "What the fuck happened!?" 

 

His dad opened his mouth in a gasp but fell short and groaned in pain and Teddy was rushing toward his father fearfully. He might be mad at him but the anger had slowly eased over as days had passed and Teddy didn't want his father to die. He needed him, now more then ever as his mother was becoming unhinged. Case in point; holding a gun as her husband bleed on the floor. 

 

"You okay dad?" Teddy asked worriedly, his hands hovering over his father but not touching in fear of hurting his father more. "Jesus." He muttered when he saw the blood up close and personal. 

 

"I'm fine, Teddybear." Ben said with a weak smile but groaned in pain again when he tried to sit up.

 

"No. No. Hey dad, just lay down okay?" Teddy ushered his father back in a laying position, "I'm-I'm gonna call the police okay? Just hold-hold on. Please." He pulled his phone out of his back pocket hurriedly and dial the number he and his family knew by heart at this point.

 

"911, what's your emergency?" The Call-taker asked when she picked up. 

 

"Um, I-I don't know what happened exactly. But my dad's been shot and-and he's bleeding. A lot." Teddy glanced at the blood again and felt slightly nauseous, "There's so much blood. Shit."

 

"Okay, and what's your address sir?" The woman on the other side asked calmly. He didn't know how she could be calm but she was probably used to it at this point. When Teddy told her the address she continued, "I'm sending police and an ambulance is on their way. Just stay calm and with your father."

 

"Okay." Teddy nodded even though the woman couldn't see. "I'll stay with him."

 

"That's good." The woman asked unflinchingly, "Is the shooter still on the premises?"

 

Teddy swallowed and looked over his shoulder to see his mother crying hysterically on the bed and she had finally dropped the gun on the bed in horror. He felt worry for her and her mental state but he had more concerning and pressing matters at the moment. Like his father who had been shot. By his own wife. By Teddy's own mother.

 

"Yeah. She's still here."

 

* * *

 

 

The police and the ambulance had arrived in record time. His father had asked Teddy to give his mother a Valium so she could sleep as his father was patched up by the ambulance and Teddy had done so willingly. 

 

Violet stood in a corner looking smaller and horrified when she found out what their mom had done to dad. Her shoulders were hunched into herself and she crossed her arms over her chest, looking scared and tired at the same time. Teddy couldn't blame her. He was scared too. He had heard his father talking to a police officer and telling them that Vivien needed to go to the hospital. 

 

And not just any hospital either, a mental institution place where Vivien could get evaluated and looked at for her mental health. Teddy wanted to be mad at his father for agreeing to it and signing the paperwork as he was stitched up, but, he couldn't.

 

Teddy had let his mother believe she was going crazy and in return she had shot her husband in fear of whatever she saw in her room. It was his fault. He practically forced the gun in her hand and made her shoot his father - he might not have been the one to pull the trigger but he may well have. 

 

If the bullet had gone any high or lower his father might be in a body bag right now. Dead and gone forever. And it would be Teddy's fault. Shit. He almost killed his father. 

 

And Violet.

 

Poor Violet was forced to agree and lie about what she saw in the car because she wanted to keep her brother happy and felt more loyalty toward him then her own mother. Teddy had gave her a pleading look and she had covered for him because she loved him and wanted him to be happy. Even with someone she didn't like.

 

Teddy wanted to go over and comfort her - almost had but Violet had shot him a teary eyed glare and he had stopped in his tracks. He got the message loud and clear and stayed out of her way for moment. 

 

Earlier, before the cops came, Teddy had gone upstairs and grabbed the gun from his distraught mother's bed. He had put it in a safe in his room in case the cops needed it or his mother tried to make a grab for it again.

 

The cops didn't mention the gun, which Teddy found odd but he shrugged it off and moved on. He told them what he heard and what he saw when he entered his parent's bedroom. His father bleeding on the floor and his hysterical mother holding a hand gun. They wrote it down and nodded before shooing him off and making their way to his father to talk to him and get his statements. 

 

"You need to be seen by a doctor." One of the paramedic told his father. 

 

"No, it was a through-and-through. I'm fine." Ben told her with a frown. 

 

"Dad, maybe you should go see a doctor." Teddy agreed with the woman eyeing his father worriedly. 

 

"It's okay. I'm fine Teddy." Ben reassured him. 

 

Teddy opened his mouth to argue - his father needed a _doctor_ not a paramedic - when he heard a voice speak up in the doorway. He turned to see who it was and wasn't even the slightest bit surprised to the the black cop who was practically in love with his mother at this point. He appreciated the man's concern for his mother, but it was starting to get weird and frankly annoying to Teddy.

 

"What happened?" The cop asked.

 

"We're fine." Ben said with a frown, "As you can see, I'm in good hands."

  
"I want to talk to Mrs. Harmon." The cop gave his father a slight glare. 

 

"Well, you can't. She's very upset. I gave her a Valium to help her sleep." Ben told him. 

 

"I'm with Heirloom Security. I got an emergency alert that-"

 

"You want an update, Luke?" Ben cut the cop off with barely contained annoyance, "Vivien thought there was someone in the house. When I went up to help her, she accidentally shot me. That's the whole goddamn story."

 

"The whole story? Did you guys talk to Mrs.Harmon?" Luke asked the cops from earlier. 

 

Teddy saw Violet shake her head and leave the room with an eye roll, having enough of the bullshit from tonight. Teddy almost asked her to take him with her but didn't, not wanting to cross anymore boundaries. 

 

"We've got this under control." One of the cops told Luke, giving him a 'who the hell are you?' look.

 

"So did he tell you that he doesn't currently reside here? That they're separated?" Luke told them with a slightly smug look in Ben's direction when he saw the man's nostrils flare in anger, "He did tell you that, didn't he?"

 

"You son of a bitch." Ben hissed out, narrowing his eyes at the man.

 

"Did he also tell you that he has a mistress with a criminal record?" Luke continued, "He told you that too, right?"

 

"I'm a licensed psychiatrist." Ben told the police men who both raised their eyebrows at him, "I know a psychotic break when I see one. My wife is a danger to herself and to others."

 

Teddy nodded in agreement but the police men and the two men arguing like children didn't notice or care about a teenage boy's opinion. Whatever. They didn't care? Well fuck them too.

 

"So you want to ship her off to the loony bin so you get the house, the kids, the mistress and the dog, huh?" Luke spat out at him with barley contained resentment in his dark brown eyes. 

 

"Look, I don't know who you think you are to my wife but this is still my goddamn house and you need to get the hell out." Ben told him sternly, taking a huge step in front of him and puffing his chest out in anger and a sign of dominance. Luke took a threatening step forward too with a glare of his own.

 

The two were interrupted by their power struggle and alpha male moment by Teddy's mother screaming and the sound of glass breaking upstairs. That bolted the men up the stairs and out of sight. 

 

Teddy sighed and watched them leave in bemusement. 

 

* * *

 

 

Teddy led the police men up the steps and toward his parents room with a frown and guilt heavy in his heart. Violet had disappeared somewhere in the house and didn't want to see their mother be lead away so it was up to him to show the police where his mother was so they could take her away.

 

"They're ready for her." Teddy told his father trying and failing not to look at his mother. He worried he'd break down at the sight of her and tell the truth and then he'd be the one getting locked up.

 

"What's going on?" Vivien asked in a small voice, eyeing the police men.

 

"I had to do it, Vivien." Ben told her gently, "You're unstable-"

 

"No." Vivien shook her head as she realized what was going on.

 

"and you need to be evaluated. These men are gonna take you to a hospital. I'm so sorry but it's the best alternative. I didn't want to do it." Ben gave her a soft look and Teddy looked away with wet eyes when he saw his mother's green eyes - so much like his own - glisten with tears, "You shot me, sweetheart. It's gotten dangerous."

  
"But I wasn't shooting you." Vivien whispered to him, her voice cracking towards the end. "I was shooting the-the rapist in the rubber suit."

 

Teddy swallowed and glanced down at the floor when the tears finally fell from his mother's eyes. Was he doing the right thing? Did he do the right thing? Making Violet lie and unintentionally playing into his mother's growing paranoia. Making her believe she was going crazy even more then she already thought she was.

 

"That's not necessary." Ben told the police when they pulled out handcuffs.

 

"Ben, could you get my coat for me, please? Thank you." Vivien asked softly, pressing her lips together. Teddy froze when his mother's gaze fell on him and he felt tears well up in his eyes when he saw the sadness and resignation in her eyes. 

 

 _I'm so sorry mommy._ Teddy didn't say, swallowing the lump in his throat. _I'm so so sorry. It's all my fault._

 

"You won't be needing that, ma'am." A police officer told Vivien when she made to grab her purse. 

 

"I'm so sorry, Vivien." Luke cut in, putting a hand on her shoulder soothingly. 

 

"It's okay." Vivien rubbed at her eyes and said in a soft and fragile tone, "At least I'll be out of this house."

 

Teddy glanced up when his mother paused in front of him at the door. He opened his mouth - to apologize maybe, to tell her he loves her and he's so sorry for doing this to her. But nothing came out and Vivien nodded at him quietly before brushing past him and out the door. Teddy's heart stopped and he bit his lip tightly, heard enough to draw blood, and felt a tear slide it's way down his cheek.

 

He followed them down the stairs and out the door and watched the police load her up in a police car. His father grabbed his keys to follow after them and sign the paperwork at the hospital so Vivien could be admitted there.

 

"This is all my fault." Violet said behind him, her voice wavering. "I did this." 

 

Ben paused and gave her a concerned look, walking over to them. "No, honey. It's not. You did the best thing you could do. You told the truth. You both did."

 

Their father kissed Violet and Teddy both on the forehead before giving them a sad nod and leaving. The door shut with what Teddy thought was a definite and loud thud. 

 

Teddy clenched his jaw and willed himself not to cry. He shouldn't cry. His mother was getting help, and would hopefully be better in a few weeks. Maybe Teddy could see her in a few days - after he figured out an apology that worked enough to please both him and his mother. 

 

"It's your fault." Violet said suddenly. Teddy looked up and flinched at the glare she was giving him, she looked ready to either hit him or kill him. Violet had never looked at him like that. "You made me lie. Now Mom's going to be locked up in the loony bin!" 

 

"What?" Teddy asked in disbelief. It quickly turned to something close enough to anger but he was to upset and tired to be really angry at his sister. "Violet. I didn't make you do shit. You could have told mom the truth and you didn't."

 

"Bullshit." Violet spat, her eyes glistening with tears. "I did it for you!"

 

"Maybe you shouldn't have lied then!" Teddy yelled back, his chest heaving slightly. 

 

"Next time I won't." Violet promised, glowering at him before she stormed off and up the stairs. "You can sort out your own shit from now on."

 

"What the hell does that mean?" Teddy called after weakly.

 

Teddy watched her leave in silence with a irritated frowned and sad eyes. He loved Violet, he really did, but sometimes she pissed him off. He felt a little bad for yelling at her but she just made him so mad and angry. 

 

She was right though. Teddy played her hand today, not once but twice. And now his mother was locked up, his father was most likely going to be in parental control but still ignoring his children and Violet was pissed at him now. He kept fucking up for some reason and this time was on accident. Teddy sighed and crossed his arms over his chest insecurely. 

  
"It's okay." Tate spoke suddenly. Teddy didn't even have it in him to jump in surprise and he just leaned against this boyfriend, who wrapped an arm around him in a sign of both comfort and possessiveness. "I'm here."

 

"Let's go to my room." Teddy said suddenly.

 

He needed to get his mind off of what was going on right now. He needed a distraction and he had a very willing and wanton blonde next to him who would do it for him, no questions asked. 

 

"Okay." Tate agreed easily. 

 

Teddy led him up to his room - holding Tate's hand the whole way up and didn't let his grip loosen even once - and locked the door behind them silently. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was gonna include smut at the end but every time I wrote it out it sounded weird and came out in a jumbled mess - even more then usual so I deleted it. Sorry!


	29. 1994 (AKA The Not-So-Dead Breakfast Club) AU

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was for fun and the idea has been playing around in my head for awhile lol.   
> The Harmons live in the house were Constance lives in present day and the Langdons and Larry live in the Murder House. Teddy and Tate's relationship is a little more stilted then in present day as Tate hasn't been dead and perfected his manipulation yet and Teddy's just like 'Fuck the world'. 
> 
> Warnings: Mentions of smut but not really graphic (idk), OOC of my own OC (lol), OOC Tate (He shows up for a few paragraphs,
> 
> Pairings: Tate/Teddy, slight one-sided Amir/Teddy (maybe), Constance/Larry (mentioned once)

The year was 1994, the weather was cool and it was close to Halloween as all the stores in town had the decorations out and on sale. Seventeen year old Teddy Harmon was sitting in detention with a bunch of burn outs and popular kids as his classmates liked to call them.

 

He got detention because Mrs. Jefferson caught him under the bleachers sucking off his boyfriend of two years, Tate Langdon. The woman had almost had a heart attack the minute she saw Teddy on his knees and Tate thrusting away in his mouth with a fast and brutal pace, griping his dark curls in a tight grip.

 

Teddy had just been trying to comfort him because his mother Constance - a total bitch - had slapped Tate last night because the blonde boy had called her boyfriend Larry out on his bullshit. It wasn't a healthy coping mechanism but it worked for the young couple and Teddy didn't really mind. Like at all.

 

The only part he did mind about the whole thing was the fact that Tate wanted to do it under the school bleachers, in the surprisingly cold weather for LA. The air had nipped at his cheeks and Teddy had been distantly reminded of his life back in Boston. All the White Christmas's and the fallen leaves in fall, he loved when the leaves changed color. It was so pretty and made him smile.

 

Long story short, Mrs. Jefferson had walked on them and that led to where Teddy sat in detention. Tate had gotten in trouble because apparently it was all Teddy. It takes two to tango Mrs. Jefferson and Tate had been more then willing to tango with Teddy. But the bitch had only told on Teddy. 

 

Teddy was pretty sure the old hag hated him and wanted him suspended. He thinks the older woman had a thing for his boyfriend, the way she looked at Tate sometimes made Teddy's skin crawl and made him uncomfortable. 

 

Teddy messed around with a pencil in front of him, ignoring the stares he got from the others. The group of misfits had been talking quietly with one another all in a group: Chloe Stapleton and Kyle Greenwell sitting at a table together near the front of the class, Stephanie Boggs and Kevin Gedman sat together and talked in a language Teddy knew all to well; Sarcasm. 

 

The other member of their little group sat next to him, reading a book quietly and Teddy eyed him interest. Well, he eyed the book in interest. _Good Omens_   by Neil Gaimen and Terry Pratchett the title read. It looked interesting enough and the title sounded kind of cool. 

 

Teddy liked to read. Mostly mystery books, or fantasy, sometimes horror or a comic book of his favorite superhero. He needed an escape from the real world, from his family and the problems that surrounded him in a daily basis. Not a constant reminder that the world sucked ass.

 

Tate liked to read random books on birds or butterflies, but he like poetry and sonnets the most. Teddy couldn't see the appeal of the poetry books but always let the blonde read in peace and read his own books quietly.

 

"Cool book." Teddy blurted out. He didn't know why he was making conversation with the kid when he was fifteen minutes away from sweet, sweet freedom and he could go home to his boyfriend and maybe Teddy could get revenge for his Saturday being taken away from him. 

 

"What?" Amir Stanley looked up in surprised, his brown eyes fluttered as he stared at him. Amir looked at the book in his hands as if seeing it for the first time and like he hadn't just been reading it. "Oh. Thanks."  

 

"What's it about?" Teddy asked curiously, eyeing the book in the other boy's hand. Barley paying attention to the other teenagers watching them, and talking quietly to each other now. 

 

"Um, It-It's about a demon and an angel who team up over the centuries and grow close and they have to deal with the Antichrist and keep an eye on him. And some other stuff." Amir finished lamely, pushing his glasses up his face with his pointer finger.

 

"That's cool." Teddy told him. He paused and bit his lip when he saw the crestfallen look on the other boy's face, "Can I borrow it sometime? It really does sound interesting."

 

That perked him right up and he sat up straighter in his seat with a smile, his cheeks turning a faint shade of pink, "Yeah. Sure. You can check it out after me." 

 

"You have any more books? I'm dying of boredom over here." Teddy said dramatically, sprawling out on their shared desk with a dopey smile at Amir.

 

"Yeah." Amir reached down for his backpack and rummaged around to pull out three more books from within in the bag. "You can pick one." 

 

Teddy eyed the books from his sprawled position but gave up half way and sat up to pull the books closer to him to read the titles and look at the covers; The Giver by Lois Lowry, IT by Stephen King, and finally The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson.

 

"Horror fan, huh?" Teddy asked in amusement, his lips pulled into a grin. "My sister loves Stephen King. She owns all his book."

 

"Yeah. I like scary books." Amir admitted with a grin, "Stephen King's a great writer even if the ending of IT was really weird."

 

"Weird how?" Teddy scrunched his eyebrows together. 

 

Amir just smiled at him with pink cheeks, "Read it." 

 

"Fine." Teddy let out a joking huff of annoyance, "I will." He opened the book and skipped to the last half up the book but stopped when Amir spoke up.

 

"You have to read the whole thing. You can't skip the whole book to read the last half. It kills the suspense and the surprise." Amir said in amusement, eyeing him out of the corner of his eyes.

 

Teddy rolled his eyes playfully before flipping to the beginning of the book again and starting to read what he could before it was time to go home. Tate was picking him up, the blonde promised him. 

 

Amir smiled to himself and had to refrain from blushing to hard at the closeness of the other boy. He opened his book back open and reread the part he had been reading earlier.  

 

__

* * *

 

 

"Thanks for letting me read your book." Teddy told Amir outside of school, pulling his jacket around him tighter. "It was, interesting." 

 

"You're welcome." Amir smiled at him and clutched at his backpack strap, holding the book out with the other hand. "You can borrow it if you want."

 

"Really?" Teddy blinked and smiled at him, the air turning his cheeks a red shade, and grabbed the book from the other boy gently. "Thanks man." 

 

"No problem." Amir replied. 

 

They stood in silence Amir waiting for his mom to pick him up and Teddy waiting for Tate. It wasn't a bad silence, no it was a comfortable silence. The kind you could relax and just bask in for hours, not needing to speak. The kind Teddy only really got with Tate anymore. 

 

"Teddy!" A voice yelled and they both looked up in surprise. Tate was grinning at him and waving his hand in the air wildly. "Teddy!"

 

"Whose that?" Amir asked curiously. 

 

"That's Tate. He's my-" Teddy cut himself off quickly. He didn't want to out Tate in front of a classmate. It was the 90s and the people just weren't quite there yet. "He's my best friend." Teddy said in stead, smiling when Tate made his way over. 

 

"Hey." Tate said breathlessly.

 

Teddy noticed he was sweating and frowned in concern, "Did you run here?" 

 

"Yeah." Tate's cheeks flushed and Teddy would have kissed him had Amir not been standing next to them with searching eyes. "I lost track of time. I'm sorry."

 

"Oh." Teddy swallowed and gave a tight smile, "It's okay. At least you showed up this time."

 

Tate blinked at him in surprise and frowned at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

 

"Nothing." Teddy muttered, glancing at a slightly uncomfortable looking Amir. "Let's just go home."

 

Tate frowned even harder at that but agreed quietly, "Yeah. Okay." 

 

"Bye Amir. See you at school on Monday." Teddy told Amir with a small smile. 

 

Amir looked startled for a second before smiling back, "Yeah. See you on Monday." 

 

Teddy gave him one last smile and look before walking away, a visibly upset Tate following after him.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy this chapter as there was literally nothing for Teddy to do for the episode 'Spooky Little Girl'. Seriously, nothing at all. I re-watched the episode three times and nothing popped up in my head. No plot bunnies or anything. I gave up after awhile because I was getting a migraine staring at my computer screen for so long.
> 
> Ben's POV was revolved around Moira/The Black Dahlia and Luke's maybe but not really affair with Vivien and the news about the twins having different baby daddies. 
> 
> Constance's POV was out of question as most of it took place away from Murder House. 
> 
> Vivien's POV was also out of question as she was locked up. 
> 
> Violet didn't show up once and was vaguely mentioned a couple of times. And Tate only had one scene in the episode that revolved around Constance hitting the shit out of him and Tate crying and pleading with her not to tell Violet the truth about the babies.
> 
> So, yeah. I had nothing for this episode and I just wanted to move on to the next chapter cause I'm a lazy bitch. Sorry. Not Sorry. Idk. Possible sequel (probably not as this story is almost done and over)


	30. Smoldering Children (part one)

The music blared from the stereo loud and Teddy carefully sketched out a drawing of that man he had been drawing for a few weeks - months - now in a leisure pace, using his black charcoal pencil to shade the lines in and make it look more extravagant.

 

Drawing helped him keep his mind off of everything that had been going on for the past three days. It kept his mind clear and focused solely on the sketch book in his lap and the charcoal in his hand, his eyes focused only on the paper as he drew.

 

It kept his mind off of his mom - who was still in lock up - and his dad - who had been acting weird ever since he got a phone call from Vivien's doctor - and Violet - who was now pretending she was an only child and was renting out her room from their parents. It hurt to have his sister ignore his presence but he deserved it after all. 

 

His family had been acting weird since they moved here but it was different now. Something was off. Not just with his family either. Tate had been acting strange since the other day. Teddy thought it was because of Constance.

 

The other day Teddy had saw the older woman leaving his house in a rush and looking upset but very excited and, to be honest, it freaked Teddy out a little. There was something in her eyes that made him feel uncomfortable. It was the pleased gleam in her brown eyes that had him stopping in his tracks in his bedroom window to watch her leave his house. 

 

But there was a part of him that said that just wasn't it. That there was something more going on with Tate and he couldn't really place his finger on _why_. It was just a feeling, a whisper in his head. 

 

Teddy tilted his head and poked the inside of his cheek with his tongue in thought, running a finger over the smooth paper and silky smooth charcoal markings. The man's face was becoming more real and life like every time Teddy drew his face. The man was even more gorgeous and handsome then the last drawing.

 

Teddy had taken to putting all of his drawings in the safe in his closet where he put the gun that his mother had shot his father with. He didn't want Tate to ask him why he was drawing so many drawings of another man that was definitely not him.

 

A jealous Tate would be hot and Teddy could just think of all the things the blonde could do to him in retaliation, but Teddy wasn't a cheater and didn't see the point in making Tate jealous for nothing more then to have the other boy fuck him senseless. He wasn't going to be his father or any other partner who had affairs behind their partners backs. 

 

Besides, there was something about the drawings that made Teddy want to keep them to himself. He wanted to be the only one to look at them. 

 

A knock on his bedroom door startled him out of his thoughts and he blinked. 

 

"Teddy?" Ben asked in a serious and authoritative voice, "I need to talk to you."

 

"I don't feel well." Teddy lied, closing his sketchbook and placing it on his bed. "I'm trying to sleep it off."

 

"Can I come in, please?" Ben asked.

 

Teddy sighed before getting off of his bed and turning his music off, mouthing 'fuck' under his breath. He walked over to his door and opened it to see his father trying and failing to give him a smile. Teddy had a feeling he knew exactly what their _talk_ was gonna be about. 

 

It been sixteen days - and still counting - since Teddy had been back to school. He was honestly surprised the school hadn't called a week ago, but they probably heard about his mother and backed off for awhile. They must have had enough though and called his father today. 

 

"Is this about school?" Teddy questioned him when his father walked into the room after Teddy had walked over and sat back on his bed.

 

"Yes." Ben agreed with a nod, "It's about school."

 

Teddy sighed again and rolled his eyes, "If you want to give me the parent drill 'cause it's gonna make you feel better about-"

 

"Why would it make me feel better?" Ben looked confused, his dark eyebrows scrunching together in confusion, as he sat on the edge of Teddy's bed.

 

"Because." Teddy paused and tried to find words that wouldn't offend his father but gave up and tried for giving his dad a nicer tone of voice, "I know it's really important to you to be a good father."

 

"Only if I've been a good father. And I've been a lousy father lately. I owe you an apology." Ben admitted, looking slightly ashamed. 

 

Teddy just stared back at him with narrowed green eyes and pursed his lips together tightly, eyeing his father down. If his father was trying to play shrink right now, Teddy swore to god he would kick his ass. A wounded and shot father or not.

 

"I can't imagine what this year has been like for you." Ben continued at his silence and disbelieving look, "Moving and starting a new school and all the craziness that happened to us here. Hey, remember last year when you announced you were going to Harvard?"

 

"I only said that to make you happy." Teddy admitted quietly, grimacing at the thought of going to Harvard or any college in general.

 

It just wasn't his style honestly. He didn't want to be held down for 3 to 4 years of college and student debt. Teddy wanted out of this place as soon as he turned eighteen, to explore the world. Maybe go to Italy where his grandma grew up or Paris perhaps.

 

That was the dream for a while but now he wasn't so sure anymore. If Teddy left and explored the world like he always dreamed he would, he would not only be leaving his broken family behind but also Tate. And he didn't know if he had the guts or the heart to do it to the blonde. He couldn't even leave Tate for a few hours of school, how was he supposed to leave him for a couple of years?

 

"I knew that. I also knew that you were smart and you can go anywhere you want for college." Ben told him. 

 

 _I don't want to go to college. I want to stay here with Tate, dad._ Teddy almost told him. _Please don't make me leave him._

 

"Come on, Teddy." Ben stood up and Teddy thought his father was done talking and going to leave now, but Ben just moved closer to Teddy and placed a comforting hand on his knee. "What are you doing? This isn't like you."

 

"I can't go back, Dad." Teddy told him, trying to get his father to understand. His voice trembled a little as he spoke, "I can't go back to that place anymore. I hate it there, the kids are so mean and they're awful."

 

"Okay." Ben agreed, nodding and giving him a gentle look, "Okay, Teddybear, okay. We'll find you another school."

 

"No, they're all the same." Teddy protested. "They're all the same, dad. I can't go there or anywhere else."

  
  
"Teddy, you have to meet me halfway." Ben sighed in frustration and Teddy felt a little hint of guilt enter him for making his father look so worn out. But he didn't want to go back to school, or any public school ever again. "We'll find you a new school, but you have to start going tomorrow. Otherwise, we'll end up in juvenile court."

 

An idea popped into his head and Teddy prayed to god his father would agree to it. This was his last chance and he wanted, no he needed his father to understand and agree. 

 

"What about homeschooling?" Teddy questioned hesitantly, "I could do online courses and pass in a few years. Please, dad. I'll do all the work. I promise." 

 

Ben bit his lip and looked at his son's pleading and teary green eyes before sighing and giving a nod, "You promise to do all of it? Teddy, it's gonna be harder then public school. You have to know that. I can't always be there to guide you and make sure you are doing your work. You will have to do by yourself sometimes."

 

"I know." Teddy nodded, a small smile spreading across his face, "I know. I'll do all my classes and I'll turn it all in. I'll stay on track. I swear." 

 

"You promise?" Ben asked, giving him a stern look.

 

Teddy didn't even hesitate to answer him and nodded at his father happily, "I promise."  

 

And he meant it. Teddy would stay on track and if he did his work on time, he might even be able to graduate high school early then planned.

 

"Okay." Ben began, looking thoughtful, "I'll start looking into home school's that will take you. It might take awhile since it's so late in the year, but I'm sure someone will take you in." 

 

"Okay." Teddy agreed. It felt like a weight had been lifted off of his chest all of a sudden and he was relieved. He wouldn't have to go back to that prison like school anymore. He'd be free of that place. Of feeling guilt every time he saw the librarian in the wheelchair that Tate almost killed and his classmate's sneering faces.

 

* * *

 

 

The next day, Teddy walked around his house after his sister had left for school. Violet hadn't been happy when she found out Teddy was going to be home schooled from now on and had stormed off at dinner last night in anger. Teddy almost told her that she could be home schooled to if she just asked and told dad what was going on at school, but one look at her glowering face had him quieting down and taking a bite out of his cheese burger awkwardly. 

 

He had dressed in a pair of his favorite blue jeans and had opted to wear a pale blue stripped button down in favor of his usual band t-shirts and sweaters. He had on his black high-top converses and a pair of butterfly socks under them. Teddy hadn't bothered to style his hair and just left it in it's usual mess of curls after taking a bath and brushing his hair once.

 

The stairs creaked under his footsteps and Teddy had just been about to make his way outside and check to see if there was any mail in the mailbox when a hand wrapped around his mouth and dragged him into a different hallway by the front door. He didn't bother to scream or yell as Teddy was used to this at this point. 

 

"Shh, shh." Tate whispered, still keeping his hand around his mouth, "Shh! Just listen to me." Teddy tried to pull the hand off of his mouth but Tate's grip didn't let go and he sighed, resting his body against the wall behind him and just let Tate keep him trapped between the wall and his broader body. "Listen. Don't be mad. I love you." 

 

Teddy raised an eyebrow in confusion and mumbled, "Love you too." but it came out a gurgled mess instead. Was Tate going to remove his hand from Teddy's mouth or was he just going to keep it there all day? 

  
"Spend the day with me." Tate continued, giving him an excited grin and Teddy's heart fluttered in his chest, "We can play Scrabble, if you want." Teddy hated playing Scrabble with him as, more often then not, Teddy lost and Tate won. 

 

"I'll even let you win." Tate added with an amused grin on his face, his dimples poking through. His smile was one of Teddy's favorite parts about him. That and another anatomy that belonged to the blonde. 

 

Tate finally let go and Teddy sucked in a slightly dramatic breath through his mouth, telling him, "I was already planning on staying home today. But thanks for the offer anyway. I'll kick your ass at Scrabble anyways, you cheater."

 

"You were?" Tate looked confused, ignoring the _cheater_ part with an eye roll, "I thought you were going to school today." 

 

"I wasn't. I was gonna check and see if I had any mail before you pulled me into this deep and dark corner." Teddy laughed, "Besides, I'm not gonna be going to public school anymore anyways. So we can play Scrabble all you want."

 

"What do you mean?" Tate frowned at him, looking more puzzled then before, "Did you drop out of school, Teddy?" 

 

"No. No, Tate. I'm gonna be home schooled from now on." Teddy snorted at the question his boyfriend asked and grinned at the slightly hopeful look in Tate's eyes, "So I'm totally free and will be totally bored now."

 

Teddy took a step closer to the other boy, his body pressed flush against Tate and smirked a little at the arousal polling into the dark orbs, "I'm gonna need somebody to keep me company from now on." Teddy pressed a thigh in between Tate's legs so that it was directly resting against his slowly hardening dick, "Someone to keep me busy and keep me from being distracted." 

 

"I can do that." Tate nodded in agreement leaning down and kissing him hungrily, pulling away after a moment to say against Teddy's mouth. "I can make sure you don't get to distracted."

 

Teddy grinned and leaned forward to press their lips together again. _I bet you can,_ Teddy thought fondly - and a little sarcastically. He pulled away from the kiss to drag Tate up to his bedroom with a harsh tug of his hand and led him up the stairs.

 

The last thing Teddy needed was his father seeing him and Tate in a indecent position, his father would freak and throw a huge hissy fit in the hallway.

 

* * *

 

 

Teddy gripped his bed frame in a white knuckled grip and let out a whimper when he felt Tate let up his grip, his come spilling onto the blonde's fist. Panting, Teddy let Tate continue to suck and mark at the spot on his collar where he had previously marked it up. 

 

The spot was now a bright red and started to bruise into a blue/purple shade. Teddy had been a little shocked to see the hickey get so big and so sore in the matter of a few weeks but he also wasn't that shocked either. Tate was a possessive lover and liked to mark him up until Teddy was red and blue. 

 

When Tate said he wanted to play Scrabble Teddy had thought he actually meant to play the game like they usually did, not a code word for sex.

 

Teddy did not mind - not at all. 

 

"Love you." Teddy told him.

 

"Love you too." Tate mumbled against his neck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short, I know. But I wanted to hurry and release a chapter quickly because I have bad news. The laptop I use to write and publish my stories on is going to be turned off and I have no fucking idea how I'm gonna continue this series or any of my other stories.   
> The laptop I use is one I share with the rest of my family (two kids including myself) is breaking down and is becoming very slow and will turn itself off while I'm in the middle of using it and while I've never lost any data or any of the chapters I've written so far, I am scared I will in the future.   
> And my grandparents are kind of mad at me right now because one of my teachers at school has told them I'm not doing ANY work at all when I've shown her and my grandparents that I have been doing shit.  
> I'm home schooled myself and have to do my work at home so I show my family every lesson I do after I completed that lesson of the day and they believe me about doing it.   
> Anyways, I'll try to update on my phone but it's kinda crappy and might take me longer to update as I have to find the transcripts for the episodes and watch the show as I'm writing it.  
> But I do plan on finishing this story and the AHS series as a whole so don't worry! I'm not done yet.


	31. Smoldering Children (part two)

The next day Teddy sat in the attic, playing around with the chess board as he waited patiently for Tate to come back from wherever he had disappeared to. He carfeully moved a chess piece to a spot and picked up the piece he had just earned with a grin. 

 

"Where have you been?" Teddy asked Tate when the other boy finally returned from wherever he had run off too. "I just took your rook. Checkmate in 13 moves." He said grinning, but it dropped when he saw the panicked and crestfallen look on Tate's face, "Hey. What's wrong?"

 

"He wants to separate us." Tate told him. He stood with a frown before slowly making his way over to Teddy, "He's gonna send you away."

 

"What are you talking about?" Teddy gave him a confused look. "Whose gonna send me away?"

 

"I just heard your dad talking on the phone with a boarding school asking about financial packages." Tate answered. Teddy noticed his eyes glimmered with tears before he finally realized what Tate was talking about with a quiet gasp.

 

He scoffed even when his eyes filled with tears and glared at the chess board in front of him. Of course his dad was going to send him away now too. He got rid of mom and now it was Teddy. Fuck. What if his dad tried to send Violet away too? She really would run away if Ben tried it, and Teddy had no doubt that she would go through with it.

 

Teddy may have had a hand in his mother getting locked up but he wasn't the one who signed the papers or had the cops escort her there. He just lied and had his sister lie and cover for him. And now the one person he trusted more then himself at times was locked up because he didn't want to let go of this house or his boyfriend.

 

"Makes sense. He sent Mom away. I don't know why I thought I was safe." Teddy said through a clench jaw, playing with the chess piece in his hand. A Queen from Tate's side of the board. "I just assumed I was his little boy. What a joke." Teddy scoffed and rolled his eyes to rid away his tears, "I'm so stupid and naive sometimes. Of course he's gonna send me away too." Tate gave him a sad look and Teddy swallowed thickly, feeling miserable. "He just lied about the home school idea. He was always gonna send me away."

 

Tate walked over to him and sat on the ground next to him. Teddy noticed that a few tears had slide down his face during Teddy's rant like speech. A few fell out of his own eyes and Teddy deigned to not wipe them away. 

 

"There's nothing stupid about you." Tate told him seriously and with a soft voice. Teddy swallowed at his next words and felt another tear slide down his face, feeling slightly worried but hopeful, "And I won't let him send you away."

 

* * *

 

 

Any hope Teddy had died the moment Tate came back half an hour later, sweating and looking frantic with a wild look in his black eyes as Tate climbed up the attic steps and hoisted himself through the opening. Teddy had heard his father yell his name but had brushed it off and hugged himself with a frown when it went quiet.

 

"What did you do to him?" Teddy demanded.

 

"I just convinced him to leave us alone for an hour or so." Tate answered back through gasps of air, trying to catch his breath.

 

"Tate, what did you do to him?" Teddy asked again, concern for his father growing.

 

"I didn't do anything bad!" Tate protested as he walked in circles around Teddy, "Just scared him a little. He'll be fine." Tate said it so nonchalantly that Teddy frowned at him even harder, "But we're running out of time."

 

"You're being weird." Teddy observed, eyeing the wild and frantic look in Tate's eyes and the way he kept fidgeting. "Time for what?"

 

"I figured out how to keep them from sending you away." Tate told him with a mad grin. 

 

"You mean, run away?" Teddy questioned with a wide eyed look at the other boy. "Tate."

 

"Kind of. Yeah." Tate put his hands on both of Teddy's shoulders, "I love you, Teddy, and I want you to be happy and free." 

 

"Tate-"

 

"If we take these, we can stay here." Teddy froze when Tate pulled out a clear baggy with a pill bottle in it and showed them to him with a slightly crazed look in his eyes. "We can play with Beauregard." Teddy had learned a few days ago that the chained man in the attic was Tate's brother, "We can play games, watch videos. We can be together forever."

 

"You want us to commit suicide?" Teddy asked slowly with a frown. He had already did that once and Tate had been the one to save him from that and now the blonde was telling him to go through with it, _again_.

 

"Yeah." Tate agreed, "And I don't think there's enough in here to really, you know-" Teddy just blinked at him. "So I think if we use these-" Tate pulled out something from his back pocket and Teddy's breath hitched when he saw a tiny box full of razor blades. 

 

"Where did you get those pills?" Teddy narrowed his eyes at the familiar looking pill bottle.

 

"Your dad has a lot of samples." Tate answered back.

  
"Did you hurt my dad?" Teddy demanded, narrowing his eyes at Tate and daring him to lie.

 

"No, I told you!" Tate screamed, clutching at his head and pacing around Teddy again, "I just knocked him out, so I could buy us some time." Teddy clenched his jaw and stared in front of him with a grimly as Tate yelled at him in a frantically, "Listen to me, Teddy. We can't get all chickenshit about this. We're running out of options!"

 

Teddy stared into Tate's dark eyes as the other boy stopped pacing and stopped right in front of him, looking pleadingly at Teddy. There was something about Tate in that moment hat made Teddy feel fear. It was the first time in a long time that Teddy had felt even a hint of fear for Tate. Teddy knew he wouldn't hurt him but it didn't mean that Tate wouldn't _not_ hurt his family. 

 

There was a very big - huge - chance that Tate would most likely hurt his family trying to keep Teddy safe or to him the dark haired boy closer to him. And that made fear and unease sink into the pit of his stomach.

 

"Yeah." Teddy took in a deep breath, trying not to flinch at the unstable look in Tate's eyes, "Okay, I get it. It's the only way we can be together." Teddy smiled softly and cupped Tate's cheek, stroking his jaw with a thumb as Tate leaned into his touch, 

 

Tate leaned forward so fast that Teddy barely had time to blink and kissed him with a hard press of lips against lips. Teddy kissed back unsure, still cupping Tate's cheek gently, and leaned into the kiss. The spark was still there for Teddy but there was something in him that kept screaming to run away. The instinctual part of him did, screaming to run and get as far as away from Tate as possible. And Teddy trusted his instincts - well, sometimes.

 

While another part screamed at him to stay and do it, to finally get rid of the pain that was still there. The overwhelming loneliness of losing not only his mom but his sister and possibly even his father if Tate had done the unthinkable. Which Teddy didn't think he did, but he also wasn't to sure he hadn't either. 

 

"Like Romeo and Juliet." Tate pulled away from the kiss, "I know how to do it so that it won't hurt."

 

Teddy swallowed nervously, "Can we do it in the bathtub?"

 

"Why?" Tate gave him a confused look.

 

"'Cause it's warm and nice, and I can light some candles." Teddy told him, trying to look as sincere and honest as possible and not like he was lying and thinking of a plan to get away from Tate and to his father.

 

"Okay." Tate finally agreed after brief consideration on his part, "But we have to go now."

 

 

"I'll-I'll go run the bath." Teddy told him. 

 

"Okay." Tate gave him a relieved grin. 

 

Teddy leaned forward to give Tate one last kiss before calmly walking to the attic door and climbing down the latter. He continued his walk down the latter, giving Tate a small smile when he saw the other boy's eyes on him, and jumped off the last latter step. 

 

After making sure Tate wasn't following after him, Teddy made a run for it and started to quickly run his way down the hall screaming out fearfully, "Dad! Where are you? Help me! Dad!"

 

Teddy ran faster when he heard Tate yell out, "Teddy, no!" and made his way down the hallway before making his way to the stairs and practically flying down them. His dad was somewhere in the house, either dead or alive and knocked out and that made Teddy more fearful then he had been a few seconds ago.  He could hear a soft thump somewhere behind him but paid it no mind and continued to yell for his father.

 

He finally made it down to the steps and into the hall where the front doors where located at. This house honestly felt like a maze sometimes. Teddy looked around him wildly, looking for any sign of his father but saw nothing in his vision.

 

"Where are you Dad! Help me!" Teddy turned around when he heard the quickened footsteps on the stairs. "Dad?" It wasn't Ben racing down the steps after him but a frenzied looking Tate.

 

 

Teddy didn't take any chances before turning on his heel and running out the front door with yells for his dad, glancing over his shoulder briefly to see Tate had stopped running and was watching him with a panic-stricken face. 

 

A dog started to bark from across the street as it's owners - a couple - walked beside it and talked to one another. Teddy tried and pulled at the gate door with hurried and jerky motions before it finally pulled open and he ran toward the couple only to feel a slight hit of dizziness and his world spin and he closed his eyes briefly.

 

When he opened them again he saw he was in the kitchen. He looked around frantically as horror crawled it's way up his throat. How'd he get here? He'd just been outside and almost off of the property when he-

 

No. 

 

It couldn't be.

 

Teddy couldn't be? Could he? 

 

Teddy's frantic gaze landed on Tate who just magically appeared in front of him out of literal nowhere and he glared at him through horrified teary eyes, "What's happening? What did you do to me?" Teddy walked around the kitchen counter when Tate made a step toward him and continued to back away from the blonde. "Tate. What did you do to me?" Teddy and Tate continued to move around the kitchen counter in circles - Teddy fearfully stepping away from Tate and glancing around him with wide and frantic eyes, and Tate trying to soothe him and get closer.

 

"You have to stop." Tate held up one hand in a soothing and calm gesture, following after him in a full circle, "Let's just do what we said we would."

 

"Dad, where are you?" Teddy yelled out, tears welling in his eyes and terror filling his entire being as he moved away from the boy he loves touch, "Dad! Help me!"

 

"Teddy." Tate reached out to touch him and almost succeeded had Teddy not slapped his hand away and bolted through the kitchen door, "Stop running!" 

 

Teddy ignored him and ran out the front door again only to end up coming through the side door instead of going outside. He felt tears of frustration build up in his eyes and he let out a distressed scream, looking around him wildly. He saw the front door opened and ran towards it again, rushing through the door and hoping he would be outside again and not stuck inside the house.

 

He ended up right where he began and Teddy let out a choked whimper, "No. Please."

 

Teddy tried it again and failed.

 

So Teddy tried it again, hoping it would work this time.

 

It didn't. He ended back up in the house and in the side door again. Teddy was determined though, and his fear and panic pushed him to try it again. 

 

And again and again until he was a panting and hysterical mess. On his last try he saw a figure emerge from the side of the stairs and he gave Tate a pleading look as the blonde stepped towards him with careful steps.

 

"Please, Tate, please." Teddy pleaded, stepping back and away from Tate again, "I don't want to die. I can't."

 

Tate sucked in a breath, his dark eyes trained solely on his tear stained face and exhaled, "It's too late for that."

 

"No. No. No, no, no!" Teddy yelled, grabbing at his curly locks and collapsing on the stairs with a harsh thump. "Please, Tate. I can't. Please."

 

"Teddy, listen to me." Tate spoke, leaning down until he was crouched over Teddy.

 

"Why am I running around like a crazy person?" Teddy asked him, frowning and giving him a small glare, "Did you drug me? Where's my dad, Tate? Are you gonna hurt me too?"

 

"I'm not gonna hurt you." Tate told him calmly, his voice soft and soothing, even as he frowned at Teddy's last question. "I have to show you something. And then you're free to go wherever you want." Teddy wiped at his tears with the rough material of his sweater and glanced at Tate, "I promise I won't stop you. You have to trust me."

 

Teddy felt conflicted. He wanted to leave and grab his father while he still had the chance, but he was now curious about whatever Tate wanted to show him. He thought about for a moment while Tate sat still crouched and watched him with patient and loving eyes. Tate held out a hand and stood up, towering over him for once.

 

"Okay."

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not my best chapter honestly, but not my worst either. I'm trying to update as fast as possible and hopefully I'll be done with episodes 10 through 12 by tomorrow night or the day after. And then I'm done with Murder House and can move onto Asylum or possibly Coven. I want to don them in order but I have the first two chapters already written out for Coven and have only a vague idea for what I'm doing for Asylum. 
> 
> Also, I am doing Cult even though that one will probably be the hardest one to write for honestly. I have an idea to do an AU where Teddy didn't die in the Murder House and takes Michael far away from there - and Constance - and moves to Michigan and becomes friends with either the Mayfair-Richards couple or Winter. I was just going to make up a new oc for that one but I didn't really like the way it sounded on my one-shots for this series and thought that maybe I should just use Teddy for that one. 
> 
> What do you think? Let me know please! There's still plenty of time to think as it will take me a long time to get to Cult.


	32. Smoldering Children (part three)

Tate led him down into the basement and to a crawl space, putting a wooden chair under the small door and climbing up into the opened door. He offered a helping hand to a tired looking Teddy who accepted the help with a muttered, "Thanks."

 

Tate flicked on a flashlight and started to crawl through on his hands and knees. Teddy would have made a joke about Tate being on his hands and knees for a different reason but was to tired and anxious to say anything in that manner. To Teddy it felt like he was having all his energy sapped out of him all at once, barely having time to catch his breath and get a break. 

 

He blinked when Tate flashed the flashlight at him and checking to make sure Teddy was still following behind him; Teddy gave him a bemused glance but still crawled, grimacing when he saw a nest of spiders out of the corner of his eye. They looked like they had been there awhile and there was a web full of eggs, which gross. 

 

"It's so disgusting down here." Teddy muttered, eyeing the skeleton of a dead rat, "What the hell."

 

They continued their little adventure though cobwebs, dead rats, a very dead possum before Tate stopped at a ledge in front of him. Tate hopped down and landed on the floor with a soft thud. He turned toward Teddy and held his hands out, "Okay, come on." Teddy took his hands and jumped down to, being careful not to land in a wronf position and hurt his ankle.

  
"Close your eyes." Tate told him with a watery voice, holding his hand tightly and not letting go, "And remember-everything's gonna be okay. I love you." 

 

Teddy narrowed his eyes at him in confusion but nodded his head curiously. He closed his eyes tightly and let Tate lead him over a couple of steps, gripping the other boy's hand in a tight grip too. They stopped suddenly and Teddy ran into Tate's back with a soft 'oof'. 

  
"Open your eyes." Tate told him.

 

Teddy did so and fluttered his eyes open, it took a second to adjust to the darkness and the sudden light from Tate's flashlight but he finally managed to see better. He looked in front of him confused before he followed the place the flashlight was pointed in and let out a horrified gasp at the sight before him.

 

It was him. Which didn't make any sense as he was standing right there, holding Tate's hand in a vice like grip, and very much breathing and not dead. The body - his body - was paler then his normal skin tone, the eyes a milky white and not a trace of his natural green orbs anywhere, and was stiff as a cardboard box, his hands stuck in a curling motion and trying to grasp something. There were flies flying around it and maggots crawling out the bodies mouth and it made him seek to his stomach at the sickening sight.

  
"What? No!" Teddy denied in horror even as the memory of him taking those sleeping pills and passing out on his bed spread through his brain like a wild fire. The scene of Tate shoving his fingers in Teddy's mouth and trying to make him throw up what was left of those pills. Teddy remembered with growing horror that he hadn't puked them all up. "I died when I took all those pills." 

  
"I tried to save you. I did. I tried to make you throw them up. You threw up some. Not enough." Tate said quietly, his voice breaking. Teddy sobbed as he stared at his dead body, "You took so many, Teddy." Tate cried out, "You died crying. I held you. You were safe. You died loved."

 

He couldn't believe was dead, it just sounded so impossible. He didn't even remember dying. Teddy remembered swallowing the pills, of course he did. But he didn't remember dying in the bathtub or even ending up in the house as a ghost.

 

It explained why Tate was adamant about Teddy not leaving the house for the past few weeks. Tate had been trying to protect him from the truth. Trying to let Teddy still feel normal for a little while longer before he found out the inevitable truth. 

 

Teddy Harmon was dead.

 

Teddy walked away a few steps before resting against the wall there and staring at nothing, whimpers and choked sobs leaving his lips, "I can't remember dying. I don't remember it."

 

"I didn't want you to find out this way, Teddy." Tate told him, "You or your family. I had this idea that if you chose to die with me you wouldn't be so sad. I never wanted you to see this. I'm so sorry, Teddy." 

 

Tate wrapped his arms around him and Teddy let out a sob and quickly wrapped his arms around the blonde too, squeezing him tightly and not letting his grip up. He let out a sob and felt Tate squeeze him tighter, letting a few tears and snivels of his own. Teddy didn't want Tate to let him go, didn't want to let him go either. 

 

Everything felt so overwhelming and full of emotions but it also felt numbing at the same time. Tate was the only thing that really made him feel better anymore. It was quiet whenever he touched Tate, the voices stopped and it was quiet in his head for a while longer. It was calming to be held by and to hold Tate. 

 

And Teddy didn't let go of him, even when he remembered that his father was upstairs somewhere and his sister would be home any minute now. All he wanted was to be with Tate in that moment.

 

* * *

 

 

Teddy looked out his window and watched a flock of birds fly over his house with longing. He'd never be able to go outside anymore, never be able to go to the park or the local animal shelter anymore. He'd never be able to have that, any of that again. 

 

It didn't bother him as much as it probably should. It hurt like a bitch and felt terrifying to know you were dead - and to see your dead body too was very traumatic - but after his little sob fest with Tate he felt better, lighter almost. A weight had been lifted off of his chest and he felt freer and better then before. He felt relief. 

 

Relief that Tate knew that Teddy already knew he was dead, that Teddy was dead now too. Teddy had told him the truth about everything - from the Dead Breakfast Club to the part about Constance and Addy being his family and everything in between.

 

Well not everything. He hadn't told Tate about Addy's death as he felt that Constance should be the one to spill the beans about that as their mother. And he didn't want to fight with Tate anymore. It was exhausting and took a shit load of energy to do it in the first place.

 

"So, all this time, I thought I was protecting you." Tate said in amusement. It was ironic really. He had been trying to protect Tate and the blonde had been protecting him as well. "But you were protecting me."

 

"That's all I ever wanted to do, since I first saw you." Tate said from his spot on the floor, ruffling his deck of cards. 

 

"So why'd you keep it a secret anyway?" Teddy asked curiously, taking a seat next to him on the floor.

 

"Hi. I'm Tate. I'm dead. Wanna hook up?" Tate said jokingly and Teddy cracked a smile, "I don't think so."  

 

"I still don't remember dying." Teddy told him, furrowing his brows in thought, "Do you?"

 

"Nope." Tate said popping the 'p'.

 

"What happens now?" Teddy asked curiously, scooting closer to Tate. "What do I do now?"

 

"You draw a card, and then discard." Tate gave him a smile and Teddy returned it. 

 

"No, I mean, like, how's it going to be from now on?" Teddy asked.

 

"Just like this." Tate said with a shrug, gesturing to the bedroom around them, "Like it's always been. It's you and me. Together for always."

 

"Okay." Teddy agreed with a grin, "I like the sound of that."

 

And he really did. An eternity of being with Tate and having all the sex and dates they ever wanted - it sounded like heaven to Teddy. 

 

"Yeah?" Tate handed him a stack of cars with a soft smile.

 

"Yeah." Teddy took them and spread them out to see what he got. He saw Tate lean over and look at his shoulders in what the blonde that was a stealthy move but really wasn't, "Stop it."

 

"What?" Tate gave him an innocent smile, "I wasn't doing anything."

 

"Yes, you were." Teddy pulled his cards closer to his chest and gave him a playful glare, "You're trying to cheat again, aren't you?"

 

"No, I wasn't." Tate protested with a grin, still leaning over and trying to glance at Teddy's cards, "And I've never cheated before." 

 

"Liar." Teddy pushed him away with a small shove and laughed when Tate made a noise of discontentment and tried to scoot even closer to Teddy then he was before. "You cheat at Scrabble all the time. You cheat at Gold Fish too." 

 

"What?" Tate blinked at him with a playful look on his face, "How do you even cheat at Gold Fish? It's so easy to play."

 

"I know you read my cards before you give them to me, Tate." Teddy admitted, eyeing the seven of hearts in his hands thoughtfully, "Don't try to deny it. You're not as sneaky as you think, babe."

 

Tate let out a small huff before leaning away and looking over his cards too, eyeing Teddy out of the corner of his eye and smiling. His dark eyes gleamed with happiness and love as he looked at Teddy, who wasn't paying attention - to busy looking at his cards and plotting Tate's downfall. 

 

Teddy  _would_ win this game and Tate couldn't cheat again like last time they played together, he wouldn't let him this time. 

 

"You're going down." Teddy muttered competitively. 

 

"What?" Tate asked, looking up with a raised eye brow.

 

"I said, 'Love you.'"

 

"Love you too."

 

"I'm still gonna beat your ass." Teddy muttered under his breath.

 

"What?"

 

"Nothing, honey."

 

"Hmm." Tate eyed him suspiciously, before drawing two cards and placing them forward on the ground. Teddy frowned at the offending cards before drawing his own cards and grinning at Tate's surprised look when he saw them. "Shit." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A happy note for Teddy and Tate as the past two chapters have been a little disheartening - even for me - and sad for the young couple. Idk shit about card games except for Gold Fish and a little bit of Blackjack but that's it - oh and yugioh and pokemon lol 
> 
> And now onto the last two episodes of Murder House!


	33. Birth (part one)

For the past few days Tate had been training Teddy about his new supernatural powers. How to disappear and reappear in a different part of the house, how to disappear from sight but still be in the same spot as your were previously. 

 

It was kinda cool - besides the whole dead thing, but whatever - and Teddy felt like this was the morbid version of Harry Potter. He even had the invisibility cloak like Harry too, which was kinda handy too.

 

As Tate helped him out the two explored the house and Teddy had even met a few of the other ghosts; Nora Montgomery (who had given him a smile and a pat on the cheek when Tate had told her that Teddy was his lover), Charles Montgomery (who had been a little high during their brief interaction and Teddy had to stop himself from laughing when the man almost passed out in the middle of it), a guy named Travis (Tate had been confused as to who the hell he was and had simply rolled his black eyes when the guy said he dated Constance) and a couple of others. 

 

There was one that had made his blood boil though. Hayden McClain - the woman his father had an affair with - had died in the house and was just as much of a bitch as she had been the last time Teddy had seen her. The first and last time the two had met was back in Boston when Hayden had stopped by to see Ben and plead with the man to reconsider leaving his wife for her.

 

But Ben hadn't been there that day, he'd been at marriage counseling and Teddy had opened the door to see her glittering eyes and seductive grin fall at the sight of him. Teddy had been confused as to she was at the time but had quickly connected the dots when the woman started wailing about his dad and demanding to see him. He'd kicked her ass right out and threatened to call the cops if she didn't leave immanently. She did eventually and that was the last he had seen of her until now. 

 

Tate and Teddy had been up all last night talking quietly as to not wake up Violet whose room was across from his and his father who had been on the phone most of the night, trying to sort out his mother's arrival home.

 

Apparently his mom was cleared of anything major - including her apparent hallucinations - and was declared to have be as healthy as a horse. The second his father heard this the man was quickly planning to bring her home and to leave as immediately as possible, telling Violet and Teddy to pack their things for the plane to Aunt Jo's. 

 

Teddy didn't have the heart to tell him he wouldn't be making that trip but had packed his bag anyway, as to throw off any suspicion from his father or sister. 

 

Teddy rolled over in bed and cuddled up to the body next to him in bed, throwing an arm around Tate's middle and sticking his nose in the crook of his neck. The blonde hummed and pulled him closer with a small tug. Just as Teddy was about to doze off again a loud knock startled him awake and he sat up quickly.

 

"Who is it?" Teddy glanced at Tate next to him and bit lip when his dad answered.

 

"It's me." Ben said. Teddy heard his doorknob jiggle and winced when his father demanded after a pause, "Unlock and open this door right now, Teddy." 

 

"Shit." Teddy muttered, using one hand to shake Tate awake as he got off the bed. "Tate, wake up." Tate groaned and laid on his other side and away from his shaking. Teddy whispered frantically as he heard the knob jingling again, "Tate. Wake the hell up. I know you can hear me. Tate." 

 

"Theodore Alexander Harmon. If you don't open this door within the next few seconds." The threat stayed unfinished but Teddy got the gist of it. 

 

Throwing a blanket over Tate's head, Teddy quickly made his way over to the door and unlocked it to poke his head through the crack, "Yeah, Dad?"

 

Ben gave him a suspicious look before brushing past him and into his room, quickly spotting the lump in his bed and Teddy panicked. He seriously hoped that Tate had disappeared and that was just a pillow or something. His father stalked across the room and ripped the covers back to reveal the shape of a pillow under it and Ben frowned at it. Teddy let out a sigh of relief and relaxed. 

 

"It's time to pick up your mother." Ben told him. "Violet's already in the car downstairs and we don't have time to get dresses up right now."

 

Teddy stared at his father with wide eyes and bit his lip nervously. Shit. His father wanted him to go with them to pick up his mother? Shit. Teddy couldn't leave the house without ending up back in a different room now. Fuck, his dad would lose his shit if he didn't go though. Teddy quickly tried to think up a lie.

 

"I don't feel well." Teddy certainly didn't feel good now, "Just leave me here."

 

"Teddy," Ben frowned at him and walked across the room toward him, "You're mother wants to see you. You didn't see her once when she was gone."

 

 _Because I couldn't._ Teddy wanted to yell at him. _I wanted to, but I couldn't leave this damn place._

 

"I wonder whose fault it was she was even there in the first place?" Teddy retorted back sarcastically.

 

Ben pursed his lips together before dragging him out of his bedroom and down the stairs in only his PJ's - the ACDC shirt his mother had gotten him, a pair of sweat pants, and mismatched socks - and toward the opened front door. 

 

"I'm not feeling good." Teddy told him in pleading voice, "Just leave me here and come get me later."

 

"No. I don't trust you anymore, and I don't trust Tate." Ben said stubbornly. 

 

"Tate? I haven't seen him in weeks." Teddy lied, as his father continued to drag him along. 

  
"No more, Teddy." Ben said, "Your mom's coming home, and you're coming with me to get her."

 

They were out the front door and Teddy's heart started to beat crazily as he realized there was no way in hell he was gonna get out of this.

  
"Please, I don't feel well." Teddy tried again.

 

"You can lay down in the car." Ben replied, "When we get home you and Violet can get your things, okay? We're leaving this house for good."

 

"What?" Teddy questioned in surprise, "You guys are back together?"

 

"I don't know yet." Ben admitted, "Your mom wants to go to Aunt Jo's to give birth, and I'm supporting it."

 

Teddy stopped walking and dragged his feet until his father was stopping to, "No, you don't want to do this."

 

"Teddy, your mother's been locked up in a psych ward for weeks." Ben gave him a stern look and he almost coward under it, "I won't let her stay there for another minute. Are you gonna get in the car, or do I have to make you?"

 

"Guess you're gonna have to make me, Dad." Teddy said stubbornly, crossing his arms over his chest in defiance. 

 

"My God, Teddy." Ben gave him a disbelieving look and frowned, "What is wrong with you?" Ben picked him up easily and Teddy let out a squawk of surprise as his father carried him over to the running car where a smirking Violet was waiting in the passengers seat, "Get in the car. Your mother wants to see you."

 

"I'm gonna throw up." Teddy threatened with a glare at his father. Ben ignored him and restarted the car engine up so it would drive, "Fine. I'll lay down." 

 

His sister rolled her eyes at him before turning to look out her window and his dad ignored him in favor of pulling out of the drive way. Teddy stared out the backseat window and concentrated like Tate told him to, focusing on his bedroom as he felt the tug of the house trying to pull him back into it. Just as his father peeled out of the drive way and they passed Constance's house, Teddy disappeared.

 

Violet glanced back in the backseat and froze in dawning horror when she saw her brother disappear out of thin air, as if he had never been there in the first place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm gonna try and drag out the next few chapters as there are only two episodes left - including this one - and I love writing Teddy tbh he's my fave oc. But I promise not to drag them out for to long. Maybe like four to five chapters for each episode, maybe more.
> 
> There will be an epilogue of sorts for when I finally get around to Apocalypse, as I've already kind of set that season up in case you hadn't noticed. The Easter Egg was Teddy's drawings. The man he kept drawing was a future version of Michael Langdon (love him too).


	34. Birth (part two)

"What's gonna happen when they get back?" Teddy questioned as he looked out the bedroom window at the car leaving, "What do I say?" He walked over to Tate who sat on his bed with crossed legs and a confused frown as he looked the laptop on his lap.

 

Tate had taken to trying to learn about the modern world through Teddy's laptop with determination, googling things constantly and asking Teddy questions about everything from how to google to the websites teens used to what a Facebook was. Teddy thought it was adorable the way Tate's eyebrows would scrunch together as he stared in awe at the screen with wonder. 

 

"It's not UTube with a 'U.' It's YouTube." Teddy told him as he watched Tate struggle to type in YouTube. He spelled in amusement "Y-O-U."

 

"Oh." Tate typed in what he spelled and let out a grin as YouTube popped up in the search bar. "Cool."

 

"If they find out I killed myself, they'll go insane." Teddy continued with his earlier conversation in worry, "Literally. For real this time. I mean, they can't know."

 

"Well, you can't control it forever." Tate said as he typed something in on the keyboard, "I mean, it is what it is, Teddy."

 

Teddy narrowed his eyes at Tate and frowned through squinted eyes, "One of these days computers won't matter anymore and everyone will have like microchips implanted in their brains or something. We won't be able to watch YouTube," Tate gasped and pulled the laptop closer to him with a glare, "or anything. We'll be like all the others here.  
Prisoners in a windowless cell." Possibly one of the most poetic things Teddy has ever said in his life. "Who's gonna show me the new ways of the world? Nobody here is happy, Tate."

 

"Yeah, but they're not like us." Tate said and grabbed his hand to clasp them together and squeezed, "They're lonely. We have each other."

 

"We'll never have kids." Teddy mused to himself after a moment of silence and Tate looking between him and the laptop opened on his lap.

 

"Why does everyone want to have kids?" Tate muttered, "Seriously. They're not even that cute."

 

Teddy frowned and opened his mouth to ask Tate who had been wanting kids in the first place, when he heard the sound of a nursery song playing softly throughout the house and turned around in puzzlement. 

 

"What's that?" Teddy stood up and off his bed, letting go of Tate's hand and walking out his room to the sound coming down the hall. Tate followed after placing his laptop on the bed and walked behind him. 

 

Teddy stopped in front of what was an empty bedroom and raised an eyebrow when he saw Chad standing on a latter and holding what looked like yams and a small paint brush in each hand, Chad looked like he was honest to god posing and Teddy wondered if he just always looked like that. Patrick was painting a drawer red and was squatted over a paint can. They both turned toward Teddy when he opened the door with frowns and then a glare when Tate followed behind him. 

 

"Who asked you to decorate the nursery?" Teddy asked as he looked around the now decorated room with a hint of impressiveness. 

 

"Let me break it down for you, sweetheart." Chad said seriously and Teddy crossed his arms across his chest in bemusement at the dark look in the older man's eyes, "This is our house, and we're having twins."

 

"Who's your surrogate? One of those nurses in the basement?" Teddy asked, his voice dripping in sarcasm.

 

"No." Chad got off the latter and smirked at him, "No. A very, very human surrogate, Elvira." Why was Teddy Elvira? Why couldn't he be Svengoolie? "Your lovely mother." Teddy's smirk dropped and he stared at Chad with wide green eyes. 

 

This was not good. Not at all. 

 

These two were gonna try and steal his mother's baby, his little sibling - well siblings, Teddy reminded himself - and what, raise the babies in this deeply haunted and horror infested house? Were they stupid or just naive? Chad seemed like the smarter of the two, but he was moronic if he thought the babies were gonna be safe in this place. That they'd never get hurt and what, grew old here? That sounded like a dumb idea from the start. 

 

"You think you're gonna steal those twins?" Tate spoke up in disgust, "You pathetic homos couldn't steal the shit out of your own ass." 

 

 _Tate._ Teddy thought with a wince as Patrick stood up and shot the other blonde a hateful look as Chad laughed, _Shut the fuck up. Please. You're not fucking helping._

 

"You know what?" Teddy cut in before the couple could try and beat the shit out of Tate, "It doesn't matter. As soon as my parents get back, we're leaving here." Patrick raised an eyebrow at him and Teddy exhaled, "They're leaving. So knock yourselves out."

 

"Honey, your parents aren't going anywhere as long as you're stuck here." Chad said. And he was right. If his parents found out that Teddy was stuck here forever they wouldn't leave him behind, regardless of what had been happening for the past few weeks - months actually.

 

"And don't you get all snotty, little brother. You'll be begging to babysit." Patrick added with a frown, "As big as this place is, it does get very, very lonely."

 

"It could get ugly though." Chad told him after shooting a look in Patrick's direction as the blonde had a melancholy look on his face, "Were you a C-section? Is there an existing zipper we might use?"

 

"Watch it, you goddamn queen." Tate cut in defensively, standing in front of Teddy with a glare. 

 

"Oh, I am quaking in my loafers." Chad said sarcastically, "What are you gonna do?" Chad stepped closer to Tate and smirked with fire in his brown eyes, "Murder me?"

 

Teddy watched as Tate's eyes flashed at the older man and shook his head, leaving that - whatever it was - for later to be examined. Right now, he had a call to make. Teddy turned on his heel and left the room hurriedly, not even glancing back to see if Tate followed. 

 

* * *

 

 

Teddy sat in the kitchen, smoking a cigarette and waiting for Constance to make her grand entrance. He needed Constance to get to Billie so that the other woman could help him rid this house of Chad and Patrick. 

 

While Teddy liked Chad and thought he was funny with his barbed remarks, he loved his family more and was more then willing to call in a sorta favor to get rid of him and his adulterous bastard of a husband. A part of his felt slightly guilty as he remembered Chad saving him from his almost rapist but squashed down and inhaled a puff of smoke calmly.

 

"My Brown Betty turns to Black Betty in 20 minutes." Constance said as she walked in though the back door, "So tell me what this is all about."

 

"I need help." Teddy told her after exhaling the smoke in his lungs, "Do you remember those two guys that lived here before us?"

 

"Frick and Frack?" Constance grabbed one of the cancer sticks from his pack with a laugh, "How could I forget?"

 

What was with everyone today? Was it be not so subtly homophobic day? Jesus. First Tate's remarks from upstairs and now Constance. Maybe it was a genetic thing for the Langdons to be as insensitive as possible.

 

Teddy frowned at her but bit his tongue and kept quiet, he didn't have time to educate the older woman on why her language and tone of voice was decidedly not funny or amusing to him. He had two babies and a pregnant woman to save. 

 

"Well, they're upstairs, and they're planning to kidnap my mother's babies and raise them themselves." Teddy said as he watched Constance blow out a huge puff of smoke.

 

"Well, let me assure you. That is never going to happen." Constance told him with a strange look in her eyes.

 

"My mom's on her way back from the hospital today. And I don't trust them." Teddy raised the now almost gone cigarette butt to his mouth and took one more puff before stubbing it out with the ash tray next to him, "I called 'cause I want to talk to Billie Dean. The Craigslist psychic."

 

"About what?" Constance asked through narrowed eyes.

 

"Getting rid of ghosts." Teddy said lowly, glancing around to make sure there were no ghosts lingering about them, "There must be a way to do it. And I think she's the only one who can help me right now." 

 

"Don't worry." Constance smoked for a second and blew the air out with a determined look, passing her lit cigarette to him as she walked past him and further into the house "I'll take care of it." 


	35. Birth (part three)

"So much pain here." Billie Dean said as she walked around the room, her palm up and a sad look in her brown eyes, "So much longing and regret. Fear. Sadness. Guilt."

  
"And perversion." Constance cut in with an impatient look, "Now, can you ferret out the fairies for us? I mean, that's our main concern at the moment."

 

"Targeting a particular spirit is going to be difficult." Billie Dean told her with a frown, "This is a very crowded house."

 

Teddy watched her in silence and only moved to throw an occasional dirty look in Constance's direction as the woman insulted Chad and Patrick with vague but definite homophobic remarks. She was starting to grate on his last nerve and Teddy would have killed her if he didn't worry about be stuck in the house with her.

  
" _You were so young._ " Billie Dean said and Teddy looked up at her and saw that her mouth wasn't moving as she talked to him, " _I'm so sorry._ "

 

" _Oh, God._ " Teddy pleaded with her desperately, " _Please don't tell. They can't know._ "

 

Billie gave him a sad look and frowned at him in concern. "Do they know about that man?"

 

" _Of course not._ " Teddy thought loudly, " _And please don't say anything with Constance here. She'll tell my family._ "

 

"So what can we do?" Constance cut in breaking and breaking their little moment, "

 

Somehow, we have to try and dislodge them from the paramagnetic grip of this place." Billie Dean told her.

 

"The what?" Teddy asked in confusion, standing up when Billie Dean started to drift out of the room.

 

"The evil." Billie Dean them, "It's a force just like any other, Teddy. Pure physics. Real and powerful. Created by events. Events that unleash psychic energy into the environment, where it's absorbed. Like the way a battery stores energy. You'll see it all the time in places like prisons or asylums. Negative energy feeds on trauma and pain. It draws those things to it." Teddy swallowed the lump in his throat and listened to Billie with wide eyes, "The force here in this house is larger than the many individual traumas. And it has a need. It wants to break through. It wants to move in our world. It's using those trapped between this world and the next as conduits."

 

"That's very interesting." Constance cut and Billie shot her a look in bemusement, "But what do we do about the gays? How do we get rid of them?"

 

"Constance," Teddy warned, having enough, "Stop saying shit like that. It's not cool." Constance shot him a dirty look and frowned in offense. 

 

"Oh, there might be a way." Billie Dean smiled at Teddy in agreement, "I can't promise." Billie's smile dropped and she got the same look on her face as she did when she was speaking to Teddy telepathically. "He can't be here."

 

Teddy looked behind her in puzzlement and saw Tate standing in the doorway, "Tate."

 

"Billie Dean, that's my boy." Constance told her, glancing at Teddy out of the corner of her eyes, "That's Tate."

 

Billie Dean continued to frown and turned around to look at Tate slowly, only turning halfway to look over her shoulder angrily. Teddy watched their interaction in silence, his brows scrunched together. Why was Billie being so weird to Tate? Did she know about the school shooting? About what Tate did to those kids. 

 

"I want to help." Tate spoke up.

 

"You've helped enough." Billie practically snarled at him.

 

"Not now, Tate." Constance rubbed her forehead and waved him off, "Go on."

 

Tate glared at his mother before leaving and shooting Teddy a worried glance. Teddy watched him leave and waited until he was sure Tate was gone to ask, "What was that about?"

 

Billie turned around slowly, a horrified look in her eyes and she trembled with a slight shake but otherwise she seemed fine and dandy. Constance walked over to her, and put a soothing and calm hand on Billie's arm with a wave to Teddy.

 

"It's just that, sometimes, when a medium meets a spirit so directly, it has a powerful effect- that's all." Constance said when Billie was quiet, "It's nothing to concern yourself about."

 

Teddy gave her a disbelieving look but nodded anyway saying to Billie quietly, "Okay, so what can we do?"

 

* * *

 

Teddy poured Billie Dean a glass full of his father's favorite bourbon and watched her throw the shot back quickly. They had sat down in the seats in the dinning room and Teddy had gone to get the whiskey glasses from the table in the corner and the bottle of bourbon without any questions asked.  

 

He had a feeling that the woman needed it at the moment.

 

"It's difficult to banish a spirit but not impossible." Billie Dean finally spoke up, "The most successful attempt that I know of happened when America was known as the New World."

 

"Are you kidding? That's, like, 500 years ago." Teddy questioned.

 

"Spirits do not follow our physical laws." Billie said with a small scoff, "Nor are they affected by time. About the only thing they have in common with the living is their suffering. Regret. Pain. Loneliness." Billie listed off.

 

Teddy had a sudden feeling he was going to be getting another history lesson on ghosts and got comfy in his chair and Billie continued to peak, "In 1590 on the coast of what we now know as North Carolina the entire colony of Roanoke- all 1 1 7 men, women and children- died inexplicably. It became known as the Ghost Colony because the spirits remained. They haunted the native tribes living in the surrounding area. Killing indiscriminately."

 

Billie slide her empty glass to the closest person near the bottle of amber liquid, who was Constance and continued after her glass was poured and handed back to her, "The elder knew he had to act. He cast a banishment curse. First, he collected the personal belongings of all the dead colonists. Then they burned them. The ghosts appeared, summoned by their talismans but before the spirits could cause them any more harm the elder completed the curse that would banish the ghosts forever."

 

"How?" Teddy demanded in a soft voice.

 

"By uttering a single word. The same word found carved on a post at the abandoned colony." Billie paused for dramatic affect, "Croatoan."

 

Teddy's mouth dropped open and he stared at her in a 'What-the-hell?' look on his face. The secret to getting rid of ghosts was _Croatoan_? Teddy had learned about the lost colony of Roanoke when he was in elementary school and that was the damn secret? What the actual hell? But Teddy had to believe her, he had too. If he wanted to get rid of Chad and Patrick he had to believe her even if it sounded like utter bullshit.

 

"So now you know what you have to do." Constance said to him, giving him a look that screamed not to fuck it up and Teddy narrowed his eyes at her in annoyance. He could do this perfectly fine, thank you. He just needed help to distract Patrick.

 

"Yeah. I do."

 

* * *

 

 

"What'd she say?" Tate asked him the moment Teddy walked into his bedroom.

 

"We have to get something of his." Teddy replied, "Something important. An heirloom or a ring. Like a talisman." Teddy took in a deep breath as he said, "If we have the talisman and we do this special ritual, he'll be gone."

 

"That sounds like bullshit." Tate told with a frown and a shake of his head.

 

"I know. But...Billie Dean's for real. She studies this stuff." Teddy bit his lip even as he felt unsure. Tate nodded in agreement with a sarcastic look on his face and Teddy sighed, "Patrick wears, like, a wedding ring, but I can't remember which hand it's on. And Chad's always wearing a watch."

 

"I don't trust her." Tate shouted and stopped pacing around the room with a panicked look, "And why'd she say all that stuff about me?" Tate took a step towards him with a scared look on his face, his dark eyes gleaming, "I did something bad, didn't I?"

 

"Let's just get the ring." Teddy muttered instead of replying to his question, glancing away from Tate's intense eyes.


	36. Birth (part four)

It wasn't as hard as Teddy thought it would be to get Chad's watch, the older man had taken it off earlier to paint the nursery. Teddy had grabbed it off of the table in the room after escorting Billie out and telling her goodbye. Before she left, Billie had given him her mobile number in case he ever needed anymore help again. Teddy had taken it from her with a smile and nod, saying he would call if he ever needed her.

 

After grabbing the watch Teddy walked up to his room and hoped Tate had been successful in getting Patrick's wedding ring. He opened his door and grinned at Tate who was laying on his side on the floor, facing the door, and twirling the ring on his ring finger. Teddy locked the door behind him, not willing to risk the other gay couple in the house stumbling in on them.

 

"Did you get it?" Tate asked him the moment he walked in.

 

"He took it off to paint." Teddy said, holding up the watch triumphantly, "Why does a ghost need a watch? It's not like he really needs it." Tate opened his mouth to peak but was interrupted by the door knob trying to be opened. 

 

"Teddy." Shit. It was his dad. Teddy and Tate looked at each with panicked looks on one another's faces as Ben started banging on the door. Teddy bit his lip and made a shooing motion at Tate to disappear before his dad broke down his door. 

 

"Teddy! You disappeared on me. What the hell happened?" Ben shouted through the door before sighing and telling him, "Teddy, your mom and sister are waiting in the car. We have a plane to catch." 

 

His mom was here? Why now of all times? Teddy had thought his dad would take his mother to the hotel or something and come get him later, not leave her down stairs -alone with Violet. Now the ghosts of the house could easily take his mother. That thought scared him into action and he yanked his bedroom door opened hurriedly, the door protesting with a squeak, and gave his father a scared look.

  
"Good. Go far away." Teddy told his father grimly, "Just don't bring Mom or Violet in the house. Please." 

 

"What are you talking about?" Ben shook his head, reaching to grab Teddy out of the room, "You're coming with us."

 

"No!" Teddy shouted at him in protest, jerking out of his father's grip, "I can take care of myself. If you want, you can come back for me later. Right now, you have to trust me and get the hell out of here." Teddy felt tears well in his eyes as his father pushed him into his room, "And tell Mom and Violet I love them and tell Mom good luck with the babies."

 

"What's the matter with you, Teddy?" Ben demanded sternly, grabbing his face and tilting his head back with a frown, "Are you high right now?"

 

"I wish. That would make so much more sense right now." Teddy murmured softly. It would be so much easier to just get high like the good old days, back in Boston when his parents were so lost in their own little world, to busy with each other to pay attention to Teddy's drug habits and Violet's depression.

 

Teddy missed those days. At least everything made so much sense back then. There were no ghosts or haunted houses or dead boyfriends to worry about constantly. 

 

"I stopped at a red light, and you were gone. Where did you go?" Ben questioned him.

 

"Nowhere. I was right here. I wanted to come. I swear." Teddy promised, his heart pounding so loud in his chest it was deafening, "I couldn't leave the house." 

 

"Stop it! You're lying." Ben's face was hard as he spoke to him, "You're on drugs, I can tell. Tell me what kind, right now." Teddy shook his head and Ben's face hardened, "Tell me!"

 

"I'm dead!" Teddy yelled before he could stop himself. He took in a deep breath and continued, seeing no point in denying it anymore to his father, "Don't you get it? Once you die in this house, you don't get to leave." Ben gave him a disbelieving look. Teddy didn't care if he believed him or not anymore, he needed his father to take his mom and Violet and get out of this house. Now. "That's why you need to take mom somewhere safe."

 

A car horn honked outside and Teddy froze, a tear sliding down his cheek. Ben let out a sigh and said, "That's exactly what I'm gonna do." He pulled Teddy with him as he left the room, "And your coming with me."

 

"I took some pills." Teddy blurted out as they walked down the hall, Teddy trying to pull away from his father who just tightened his grip, "I didn't mean to kill myself." Ben stopped walking to give him a worried look, his blue eyes wide in shock at his words. Teddy thought he finally had his father and he was starting to believe him and was about to continue - to explain everything what's been going on when a loud wail from his mother interrupted them.

 

"Ben!" Vivien yelled from downstairs, her voice shaking and painful. 

 

Teddy was dragged along by his arm with one hand as his father raced down the hall and to the stairs. They made it down the stairs and Teddy saw Constance and Violet holding up his mother as Vivien tried to curl into herself with a pained gasp. Teddy's eyes went wide and almost popped out of his skull when he saw the clear liquid dripping from in between his mother's thighs and onto the floor. 

 

"What's wrong?" Ben asked in concern.

 

"The babies are coming." Vivien gasped between labored breathing. She started to cry out in agony when Violet and Ben started to lead her into the front room, "No. No. No!"

 

Teddy stared after them in shock, not even paying attention to the hard look Constance gave him as she shut the front door. He followed after them in silence, wincing and cringing when his mother screamed in pure agony as her legs trembled on the couch where Violet and Ben had taken her to rest on. 

 

He didn't know what to do. He didn't know how to help his mother and he couldn't stand to watch her in pain. His mother couldn't have her babies here, she couldn't. Chad or Patrick or any other ghost who wanted a baby could easily snatch them away from her or his father and take the babies somewhere in the house. And that scared the shit out of him, the thought of his unborn siblings disappearing under his nose and Teddy never being able to do anything about it. 

 

Constance walked over to him with a stony face and Teddy whispered to her, "She can't give birth here. It's not safe."

 

"Well, then make it safe." Constance told him glancing up the stairs and turning towards his mother when she cried out again, "You know what to do."

 

Teddy nodded and quickly made his way back upstairs to grab the watch and ring waiting on the bed for him. Teddy had dropped the watch in the struggle with his father and must have gotten it for him and placed it on the bed. 

 

Grabbing them with determination and ignoring his mother's wailing, Teddy walked down the basement and toward the furnace. He flicked the switch on and stared into the opened latch and waited for the flames to get higher and hotter. 

 

He could hear his mother, even all the way down here and it was freighting. Teddy would never know what it was like to give birth - and was thankful for it - and he applauded all the women who did more then once, who gave their husbands or boyfriends multiple children, even at the cost of their own pain and misery. 

 

Another wailing scream from his mother had Teddy throwing the ring into the fire with a grim frown and he watched the gold metal circle melt under the burning hot flames within seconds. He waited patiently for the fire to get hotter before throwing the watch in carelessly. 

 

"What exactly do you think you're doing, young man?" Chad's voice spoke up behind and Teddy whipped around in surprise, "Is that my $12,000 watch that you're putting into the furnace?" 

 

Teddy glared at him and stood up to yell, "Croatoan." When nothing happened he furrowed his brows but continued to yell, each word getting louder and more frantic, "Croatoan! Croatoan! Croatoan!"

 

Chad started to shake suddenly and Teddy watched as his arms got stiff and he dropped the painted red wood on the cemented ground. His body started to convulse and his eyes rolled into the back of his head. Chad started to make choking sounds as he stood shaking and trembling all over. Teddy thought it had worked and was shocked when Chad's shaking stopped suddenly and the man started to laugh in amusement.

 

"Just kidding." Chad said, bending over and picking a wooden pole up, "Ahh. So where'd you get that one?" Chad pointed the red stick at him before hitting it in his hand playfully, "That Press-On Nail psychic who was here earlier? I mean, really? The Roanoke spell? Please, tell me you'll be slitting the throat of a chicken next because I've always found that very dramatic." Chad continued in amusement, a mean grin never leaving his handsome face, "I also quite enjoy the burning of the sage to rid the house of spirits."

 

"It didn't work." Teddy muttered to himself in disbelief. 

 

Teddy had thought - he had believed that Billie Dean was right, that the stupid spell would work. It didn't. And now Teddy felt like a naive fool. Humiliation and anger burned though his veins. Tate was right. It sounded like bullshit - Tate had told him that - and it was total bullshit. 

 

  
"Of course it didn't work. It's bullshit. It's all bullshit." Chad rolled his eyes, "People make up these spells and chants in order to feel like they're in control. Well, guess what? They're not. Never have been." Chad raised his knee up and broke the wood with an anger in his eyes before throwing the now broken pieces in the furnace.

 

"What are you doing?" Teddy questioned.

 

"My own bullshit ritual." Chad told him, walking over to the other wooden sticks and picking them up, "There's not gonna be any nursery." Chad let out a huge sigh of defeat and Teddy stared at him in concern. He might have just tried to wipe the man from existence - had failed too - but he still liked Chad. "We're not gonna be parents. Your mother's babies are safe. From us, at least."

 

Teddy narrowed his eyes at him and crossed his arms over his chest, ready to ask what Chad was going on about and to tell him who else was gonna take the babies from his mom now when Chad continued to speak. 

  
"I'm doomed to spend eternity with a man who doesn't love me. Of course, it could be worse." Chad turned and gave him a look, his brown eyes glittering from the flames in front of them, "Your man does love you but he'll always be a monster."

 

"You're wrong." Teddy said defensibly, "Tate's changed. He's a better person now. He's doing better. And he doesn't even remember what he did."

  
"Oh." Chad's eyes were hard as he spoke, barley concealed anger lacing his voice, "When did he change? When he murdered me? When he murdered my boyfriend?" Chad paused and gave him a pitying look "Or did he change when he raped your mother?"

 

"What?" Teddy felt the color leave his face and he stared at Chad in shock. Tate would never do that. Not to Teddy. He wouldn't, not after Teddy had almost been raped. Teddy shook his head in denial, scowling at Chad, and spat out, "No, that's a lie. Tate would never do that to me. Not to my mother. He wouldn't."

 

  
"Is it?" Chad gave him another pitying look, his eyes narrowed as he stared at him. Teddy stared back in denial and anger, not believing the man about his obvious lies. Even when a part of him realzied that it might be possible. 

 

The due dates added up - somewhat - as his mother had gotten pregnant not even a month into their move and Tate had just started popping up into Teddy's life around that time. And Tate was always in the house, he couldn't really leave, and he was always lurking in the shadows. Tate could have easily slipped in, unnoticed, without any trouble and he could have....

 

A deafening scream from above startled them out of their staring contest and Teddy looked up in worry, his heart beating like crazy at the thought of his mother in agonizing pain and the new piece of information he had now.

 

"I think you're about to find out." Chad told him, a dark look in his eyes. 

 

"Did he really kill you?" Teddy questioned in a low voice. He looked Chad in the eyes and swallowed the lump in his throat, "Did he really kill you and your boyfriend?"

 

"What do you think?" Chad asked, throwing another broken piece of wood in the fire with a melancholy expression on his face as he stared in the flames.

 

Teddy squeezed his eyes shut tightly as a tear down his cheek as he got his answer. He nodded slowly and turned on his heel to leave the basement, to go to his mother and see her. He had a growing feeling of dread as he heard her scream out. Teddy paused one last time at the bottom of the steps, and not turning around to look at Chad, he said. 

 

"I'm sorry, Chad. I'm so sorry. You didn't deserve it."

 

Teddy continued up the steps, and if he had looked back, he would have seen the crestfallen look on the other dark haired man's face as he watched Teddy leave. Chad whispered, "I'm sorry too." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One chapter left and I'm on the season finale, Afterbirth, which is really amazing!


	37. Birth (part five)

Teddy watched his mother in tears, hiccuping when the Dr. Montgomery told Ben that his mother was hemorrhaging and she might not make it. His father was pleading with Vivien to stay with him, to not leave and that broke his heart. Teddy stayed in the shadows, making sure to stay out of sight and use his new invisibility powers to stay out of view.

 

He didn't want to watch his mother die, he didn't. But a selfish part of him didn't want to be alone in this house anymore. Didn't want to be alone with Tate anymore. Teddy wanted his mother, wanted her to hold him close and tell him that everything was gonna be alright. 

 

"Mom." Teddy cried softly, stepping into her view only and showing his mother that he was there.

 

"Teddy." Vivien whispered, a small smile on her face as she gazed at him tiredly. A tear slide down his face and he choked back a sob, stepping closer to her and being mindful not to touch or let his father see him, "I'm sorry I didn't go see you at the hospital. I wanted to, but I couldn't."

 

"You're here now. That's all that matters." Vivien told him, her voice low and crackly from all the screaming and wailing she had been doing.

  
"Vivien. Listen to me." Ben said, getting Vivien's attention, "Concentrate on my words. We can be happy, honey. Just like we were before. Before my mistakes. Before this house."

 

"It's okay, Mom." Teddy told her in a soft voice, tears sliding down his face as he watched her eyes start to flutter close as she tried to hold onto life, "If you're in pain, let go."

 

"I don't think I have a choice." Vivien murmured softly. Teddy didn't know if she was talking to him or his dad. 

  
"Hold on, Vivien." Ben pleaded tearfully, "Stay with me."

  
"Come to this side. Let go." Teddy whispered to her selfishly, "You can be with me. Please, Mom. Come with me."

  
"Don't die. Don't die on me, Vivien. We can still have a life together." Ben cried out, his eyes never leaving his wife's face as her eyes went blank and her head rolled over to the side unmoving, "We can still be happy." 

 

A tear slide down his father's face as Vivien died on the couch, clasping her hand in his even as her warmth faded into coldness. Charles Montgomery and the nurses disappeared quietly from view and Teddy did too. He left his father to grieve the death of his wife and Teddy's own mother.

 

Teddy had something to do before he could reunite with his mother in the afterlife and in this house. Even if it broke his heart, he had too. If not for himself, then for his mother who was dead because of the baby Tate had gotten her pregnant with.

 

* * *

 

 

Teddy watched Tate move in his bed with cold eyes as the blonde tossed and turned restlessly. He wanted to savor whatever time he left, looking at Tate's face and his messy blonde hair. After this moment the two were over and Teddy wouldn't be talking to him anymore. 

 

He couldn't forgive Tate for what he did. It didn't matter whatever excuse the blonde came up with to try and please him, Teddy was done and didn't want to hear anymore. His heart was broken, both by his mother's death and Tate's betrayal.

 

His poor father and sister were somewhere in the house grieving over a wife and mother. Teddy had moved his now dead body in the basement in plain view so that either of  two could find it. He felt bad for leaving it there and possibly scarring Violet and his father more then they already were, but he had to do it. They needed to know he was gone too and they had to move on with their lives.

 

The bed squeaked again as Tate turned onto his side, still not seeing him and Teddy steeled himself both mentally and physically. This was gonna hurt the both of them but it had to be done. His mother deserved better to see her rapist live a happy and lovely life with her own son. 

 

Teddy showed himself to Tate and watched as a smile slide onto the other's boys face the moment he saw him appear in his view. The smile slide off at Tate's face when he saw Teddy's blank face and the words he spoke.

 

"My mom is dead." Teddy finally spoke up with a dead look in his green eyes.

 

"I'm so sorry." Tate sat up in bed and gave him regretful look which fueled the fire burning in Teddy. Tate moved across the bed and closer to him and tried to grab for his hand comfortingly but Teddy pulled away, "I know you were close."

  
"Yeah. We were." Tate crossed his arms across his chest as he stepped back from his bed and stared at Tate as the older boy frowned at him in confusion, "My dad and sister are down there all alone now."

 

"That makes me sad." Tate got up off his position on the bed and took steps toward him, "I like your dad. He was nice to me." 

 

Teddy didn't miss the way Tate had ignored his sister. He knew the two weren't close and Tate didn't care much for his sister. And he knew Violet felt the same way about Tate. 

 

"He's nice to all his patients." Teddy said, clenching his jaw as the older boy moved closer to him in subtle movements, "Even the ones who lie to him."

 

  
"What?" Tate blanched.

 

"Why did you start seeing him in the first place?" Teddy narrowed his eyes at him, "Constance thought you needed help. Did you?" 

 

"I did." Tate reassured him, "I do."

 

"You knew you were dead." Teddy stated and watched as Tate swallowed nervously and licked his lips. "Didn't you?

 

"Yeah." 

 

"Do you know why?" Teddy questioned, squeezing his arms closer to his chest.

 

"The cops shot me." Tate told him as he glanced around Teddy's bedroom, "Right here in this room."

 

  
"Why?" Teddy demanded, not caring when Tate's eyes started to get misty, "Why did they shoot you?"

 

"I don't know." Tate whispered out shakily.

 

"You murdered people, Tate." Teddy told him bluntly, his eyes gleaming, "Kids. Like us." A tear slid down Tate's face, "The kids that came to us on Halloween. You killed them."

 

"Why would I do that?" Tate asked him and Teddy shrugged not knowing why either.

 

"Why would I do that?" Tate repeated and started to cry, tears falling down his cheeks as he looked at Teddy, "Why would I do that? No. Why would I do that?"

 

"I don't know." Teddy blinked at him and asked, "Why'd you kill those guys who lived here before us?" Teddy's eyes hardened and he glared at Tate, "Why would you rape my mother?"

 

Tate sobbed and squeezed his eyes shut as a flood of tears fell down his face. Teddy just stared at him through clenched teeth and didn't move to even offer a shoulder to cry on. If it had been just a few hours earlier, Teddy would have been giving the blonde his condolences and trying to cheer him up. But things were different now. Teddy was different then he was previous hours ago, and Tate was a stranger in his eyes now. 

 

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Tate repeated, giving him a crestfallen look. Teddy shook his head at him, not believing him for a second. Not anymore. "I was different then."

 

Teddy scoffed and shook his head. "I used to think you were like me or Violet. You were attracted to the darkness." Teddy pressed his lips together wiped at a tear that slid down his cheek hurriedly, "But, Tate, you are the darkness." 

 

"No." Tate said in denial, shaking his head stubbornly, "Before you, that's all there was. You're the only light I've ever known." Tate took a step closer to him, "You've changed me, Teddy." 

 

"I believe that." Teddy did believe that part of his sentence. He had seen Tate and the blonde had obviously been trying to be - do - better for him. But that wasn't good enough for Teddy anymore.

 

Teddy took the last step to close their distance and cupped Tate's cheek in his palm to wipe away at the tears there and Tate smiled at him lovingly in return. "I love you, Tate." Tate let out a choked whimper at that, "But I can't forgive you." Teddy dropped his hand off of Tate face and frowned at with hard and teary eyes, "You have to pay for what you did. All the pain you caused. All the sorrow. You murdered my mother."

 

"No!" Tate shouted in protest, shaking his head in denial.

 

"Yes! You did!" Teddy yelled out in anger, "That baby - whatever it was - it killed her." 

 

Tate gave him a miserable look, his eyes still full of tears. The tears just fueled the growing pit of fire burning within him and Teddy glared at the boy he loved with hateful and angry eyes. The anger and hate ruled out over the love and care he felt for Tate, for what he used to feel at least. 

 

"I can't be with you." Teddy shook his head and took a few more steps back and out of Tate's reach, "No. I _won't_ be with you. Not anymore." 

 

"What are you saying?" Tate demanded in confusion, taking shaky steps toward him. 

 

"I'm saying go away." Teddy spat. He kept walking backwards until Tate stopped following after him with a gut-wrenching look on his face.

 

"What? No, don't do this."

 

"Go away, Tate." Teddy demanded, blinking away a tear that threatened to fall. He wouldn't give in. Not this time. Tate didn't deserve his love or his kindness anymore. And Teddy wouldn't let him have it.

 

"You're all I want." Tate yelled at him, tears falling down his face in a flood as he squeezed his eyes closed, "You're all I have!"

 

"Go away!" Teddy shouted back, squeezing his eyes shut like Tate had once told him to do in case Teddy wanted to get rid of a ghost. And Teddy did want to chase away a ghosts. He wanted Tate to go away. "Go away!" Teddy roared at him until the room went quiet, Tate's screaming falling short. 

 

When he opened his eyes again Tate was gone. Teddy sniffed quietly, wiping at the tears at his face and stopping when the wave of emotions washed over his body like electricity on water. He started to sob and hugged himself tightly, his heart breaking the more the room was quiet. 

 

It was so silent now - his mother's wailing gone and Tate's screams gone silent - it was eerie. 

 

Teddy flinched went he felt a hand on his own and he turned his head to the side and to tell Tate to go away again when he stopped short at the sight of his mother's beautiful green eyes. They really did look like his own. 

 

"Mom." Teddy choked out, curling into his mother's embrace as the older woman wrapped her arms around him comfortingly. His mother felt warm and kind and smelled like her favorite shampoo. Teddy sniveled into her neck and whimpered out sobs against the skin there, holding his mom and not letting go.

 

"That was very brave." Vivien told him, "I'm proud of you."

 

"Mom." Teddy croaked out through tears and snot, "I'm sorry, Mom. I'm sorry you had to die."

 

"Shh." Vivien shushed him and pulled him closer to her, brushing his curls and running her fingers through there in gentle strokes. It just made Teddy cry harder and he curled in as close to her as humanly possible. 

 

"I'm sorry you lost your baby." Teddy told her as he remembered the baby that hadn't made it out of birth alive.

 

From the brief glance Teddy had gotten of the baby it had been so small and delciate looking as Charles carried it out of the room to dispose of it or whatever he had been doing. Teddy hadn't followed after the doctor in favor of staying and watching his mother from the sidelines as she cried out in pure agony. 

 

Vivien pulled away gently and stroked at his face as she smiled at him softly, her green eyes warm, "But I didn't lose my baby." 

 

Teddy started to sob as his mother's forgiveness wrapped around him in a blanket of warmth and kind words. He cried harder when he remembered poor Violet. His little sister had no older brother and now she had no mother to fall back on now, she was alone besides for dad and her new littler brother. 

 

"Mommy." Teddy whispered into the crook of her neck, "I'm so sorry. About-about everything. I'm sorry." 

 

Vivien just shushed him again and petted at his curls reassuringly as she held him close, "I know baby. Me too."

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> one episode left and Dollhouse if officially over. I have a plan for Violet and Leah, as well as Chad as I love the guy so much and he deserved a lot better then what he got dealt with. I don't hate Patrick, I don't, but he's my least favorite character in Murder House. I understood that he fell out of love with Chad but he didn't have to be so cruel and cheat on the guy. And I know Chad was at fault too, but at least the guy was trying to fix his failed marriage and tried to be better for Patrick, even doing something he obviously wouldn't do for anyone else and made him uncomfortable. Like buying a BDSM suit and trying to be more sexy for his man.
> 
> Anyways, rant over. It's time to move onto the next and final episode of this fic!


	38. The Death Of A Sister And The Heartbreak Of A Mother

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for the chapter: Graphic Description of Suicide, Death, Implied & Mentioned Rape/Non-Con, ect. 
> 
>  
> 
> If any of this is triggering I suggest you don't read this and wait for the next chapter or click off immediately please! Thank you!

Violet lifted a leg over the bathtub and climbed in, the running water sloshing over the sides of the tub as it overfilled. She was still dressed in her legging and long sleeved shirt, but she didn't care. She felt numb and blank, her eyes red rimmed from crying all night. 

 

Her mother was dead. Her brother was dead and had been dead for god knows how long. She was left alone with her broken father and a half-brother. Ben had broken down in front of her the day before, telling her about how the baby wasn't his. That her mother had been raped after they had moved. By Tate, her brother's boyfriend. 

 

Violet had cried in her room afterwards, feeling grief for her brother and mother. Her mother had been raped at the hands of Teddy's own boyfriend, the boy he loved so much and forgave every time. Violet hoped her brother hadn't forgive Tate this time. Prayed that he didn't. 

 

The baby cried somewhere downstairs and Violet felt slight anger toward the little innocent soul in this house. She wanted to hated him -  a part of her did - but he was just a baby, he didn't deserve to be hated for something he had no control over. 

 

Michael, Violet had told her father at the hospital as the doctors made sure the baby was okay and healthy. Michael was the name Teddy had chosen one day while the two siblings and their pregnant mother sat at the kitchen table, going over baby names.

 

* * *

 

 

_"I like this one." Teddy said excitedly, holding out the baby name book to their mother and pointing at a name._

 

_"Michael. I like it._ _" Viven told him with a smile, "It sounds a little old fashioned though." Teddy frowned and Vivien hurried to continue, "I like it though. It sounds like a good, strong name."_

 

_Teddy grinned again and put the book back on the kitchen table, writing down his name choices on a piece of paper while Violet sat next to him, drinking a cup of black coffee. Just the way she liked it._

 

_Vivien watched her two children with a bright smile and slowly stroked at her stomach, pulling her cup of tea up and taking a sip._

 

_"I like Scarlett for a girl." Violet spoke up suddenly, looking at the name in front of her with a smirk, "It sounds really fucking cool."_

 

_"Violet!" Vivien cried out, her lips turning into a smile at the corners of her lips even as she gave her daughter a stern look, "Watch your language young lady."_

 

_"Sorry Mom." Violet muttered sheepishly_ _._

 

_Teddy giggled next to her and Violet elbowed him with a harsh jab of her elbow and snorted when her brother let out a dramatic groan of pain. Vivien laughed at them, her eyes shinning with love that only a mother could have, before scolding Violet with a giggle of her own._

 

* * *

 

Violet stared at the razor in her hand as memories flooded her; her and her brother throwing sarcastic remarks at each other, her and her mom bonding over the dumb men in their little family, her father smiling at her over the dinner table fondly, Leah's beautiful blue eyes staring at her as the two laughed on a date at a cafe. 

 

She felt guilty for what she was about to do, leaving her sweet and kind girlfriend behind, but Violet loved her mother and brother and didn't want to be in a world without them anymore. She just missed them so much.

 

Raising the razor blade over her wrists, her sleeves pulled up and showing the scarred lines on her wrists, Violet pressed down hard and gasped in pain as she cut into the scarred over marks on her skin. Blood poured down them as she pressed as hard as she could on the wounds, turning the clear water surrounding her a dark watery red.

 

Violet did it again on her other arm, until blood was rushing out of her cuts and into the water. It hurt so much - more then when she usually cut herself - but it was a good pain. Like when you had a rash and scratched at it until you're skin was a harsh and ugly red, the pain transformed into a pleasureful pain. 

 

Her arms dropped over the sides of the tub as they started go slowly numb and Violet let out a shaky breath as her vision slowly started to fail her, everything getting hazy from the sudden blood loss.

 

As she fluttered her eyes open and closed, Violet could make out the shape of a person kneeling beside her and trying to put pressure on her wounds. She smiled at the figure dazedly as her vision started to slowly get dark at the edges.

 

"Teddy." Violet whispered tiredly.

 

"Oh, Violet." Teddy murmured, trying and failing to stop the blood pouring out of her wounds,  "Why would you do this? You have so much to live for."

 

"No." Violet shook her head weakly, "I don't. You and Mom are dead." She glared at him through half closed eyes and accused, "You left me, Teddy. You left me alone." 

 

"I'm sorry, Violet." Teddy apologized to her as a tear fell. Violet wanted to reach up and wipe it away but her arms failed her when they wouldn't move, "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to. It was an accident. I'm sorry."

 

"It's okay." Violet slurred out, her eyes fluttering and her breath uneven as she watched her brother cry for her in agony, "I'm sorry too. I love you." 

 

"Violet? Violet!" Teddy yelled, trying to shake her awake again but she wouldn't budge. "Oh my god. No. No. No!" Teddy sobbed out as he hugged her wet and cold body to his own, "Violet! Please don't do this!"

 

Violet closed her eyes one last time and her breath gave way as she died in her brother's arms, getting his clothes wet and damp with her own soaping wet clothes. Teddy let out a sob and hugged her dead body to him, closing his eyes as a sob tore out of throat and wailed.

 

"Violet!"

 

* * *

 

"Oh. Sweetheart." Vivien said as she wrapped her arms around her daughter firmly. First Teddy and now Violet. It was heartbreaking to lose one child, but four? It was impossible not to grieve, even if she had two of them with her. 

 

"I'm sorry Mom." Violet told her through tears, "I had to. I didn't want to be left all alone with Dad. I wanted you. And Teddy. I'm sorry."

 

"It's okay honey." Vivien assured her, kissing the top of Violet's head, "I know. It's okay. I'm sorry too."

 

"For what?" Violet asked, pulling away to look at her and frowning, "You didn't do anything."

 

Vivien sighed and brushed away the hair sticking to Violet's forehead, "I did. I should have left this house the moment I felt something was wrong here and taken you and your brother away from here. I didn't. And I'm sorry for that."

 

"Mom." Violet whispered, gazing into her eyes sadly, "You couldn't have know what was going to happen."

 

"No. I didn't." Vivien sighed again, wrapping an arm around her daughter and pulling her close, "But I should have. I'm your mother. I should have known better." 

 

"Mom-"

 

"Violet!" Teddy shouted the moment he saw them and rushed toward them hugging her tightly as Violet held onto Vivien. "Oh. Shit. Violet, I thought you were gone. Forever." 

 

Vivien stepped back and watched her children reunite with a smile. She flinched when she heard Ben's agonizing scream as he found their daughter's dead body. Ben had found Teddy's too. 

 

Guilt ate away at her for leaving her husband alone but a selfish part of her was glad she had her two children with her and within arms reach. Vivien let out a soft noise as Teddy and Violet wrapped their arms around her and each other with sad and guilty looks as they heard Ben cry a few doors down from them.

 

* * *

 

 

Violet explored the house using her new supernatural powers to spy on her father and little Michael. The baby was cute and would laugh whenever he saw her staring down at him. 

 

Michael smiled even wider when he first saw Teddy, reaching out to be held by his big brother and crying when Teddy just stared down at him silently. Violet had watched her brother sigh before picking up Michael and she had laughed when the baby reached out and grabbed the first curl he could reach with a giggle, pulling on Teddy's hair in amusement. 

 

"He's so tiny." Teddy had said, gently pulling Michael's little finger out of his hair and letting him hold his finger instead with a small grin, "And cute. He looks exactly like-" Teddy cut himself off with a frown and looked away with pursed lips, his eyes gleaming.

 

"I know." Violet had whispered quietly, eyeing the small batch of blonde hair and the nose that was all Tate, "He does."

 

Michael let out a quiet yawn and Teddy's eyes had melted at the sight, "You must be tired, huh Michael?" The baby let out a sigh and snuggled closer to Teddy, still holding the finger in his small hand. "Come on buddy. Let's put you to bed." 

 

That was the end of that. Well, not entirely. Teddy still went and saw Michael whenever their father wasn't around, making faces at the baby and laughing when little baby Michael giggled at him happily.

 

Violet had even walked in on Teddy cradling the baby to his chest as their father was passed out on the couch next to the sleeping crib. She'd just rolled her eyes fondly and left to spend time with the other ghosts of the house, bonding with a little girl named Rose whose face was disfigured. 

 

* * *

 

 

Viven had cried her eyes out when Teddy told her what had happened to him the night of the break in and had hugged him as close to her as possible. To know that her baby had almost gone through what she did had broken her heart even more then before.

 

Teddy had almost been raped and had kept it from her and Ben. And it hurt to know he didn't want to tell her about, that Teddy kept it to himself for so long. 

 

When he had told her who had saved him Vivien hadn't been as surprised as she should have been. Tate had saved her son from the trauma of being and raped and had kept him safe. It still didn't take away from what he had done to her - it never would - but she still felt gratitude to the boy, albeit reluctantly.

 

It didn't change the fact that Tate had raped her and played mind games with her to keep Vivien's own son with him and away from the rest of Teddy's family. Tate had gotten her pregnant with a child that had slowly killed her and killed it's twin brother in the womb. 

 

Teddy made no move to forgive the blonde or his horrible discretion's and Vivien was proud of her son for being so strong - even at the cost of his own heartbreak. She would watch in silence as her son's eyes would go blank at times as if remembering something he would rather forget.

 

It was painful for a mother to see her child in pain but Vivien couldn't tell her son to forgive Tate or move on. Teddy needed to move on at his own pace. No matter had long it took and Vivien didn't doubt it would take some time for the light to enter back in her son's eyes and for a real smile to grace his handsome face once again.

 

For now, Vivien watched her husband move around the kitchen with Moira across from her and smiled down at little Michael, reaching a finger out to stroke his chubby cheek softly.

 

"Hello, Michael." 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was solely for Violet as I couldn't write or gloss over her death in Afterbirth without feeling guilt for doing my girl wrong and decided to give Violet her own chapter. I like writing Violet and wanted to do it one more time before I ended the story. I might have Leah die in the house too and give Violet a happy ending, but I think it'd be weird if she did that so I probably won't do that sorry.   
> And I couldn't not write about Vivien, especially not about what happened to Teddy. I felt it was time she found out what her poor baby had gone through. No, Viven is not going to be suddenly rooting for Teddy/Tate and making I heart Tate shirts anytime soon. What she went through was real and traumatizing and it would be out of character for her - in my opinion - to suddenly forgive Tate and make him a cake or anything lovely.
> 
> Funfact: Vivien and Teddy were both supposed to find Violet's dead body but I felt Teddy would suit it better and when I wrote the scene it fit better to have him find her. Vivien did get her own moment with Violet - and Teddy - though and I loved writing the scene (s), even if it was really damn short, as I could feel both their pain and sadness as I wrote their scene. 
> 
> Songs I listened to write this and the previous chapter:   
> Hold On-Chord Overstreet (This chapter)  
> Lovely-Billie Eilish (This Chapter and Birth-part five)  
> Someone You Loved-Lewis Capaldi (This chapter and Birth-part five)  
> Born To Die-Lana Del Rey (This chapter)  
> Pity Party-Melanie Martinez (This chapter)  
> See You Again-Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth (This chapter)  
> Let Me Down Slowly-Alec Benjamin (Birth-part five)


	39. Afterbirth (part one)

Teddy cooed at Michael over his dad's shoulder and smiled when the baby giggled at him, immediately calming down from his crying fit. He waved his chubby arms and kicked his chubby legs in the air and made reaching hands for him. 

 

"Sorry, buddy." Teddy apologized, "Your leaving today. I can't see you anymore." 

 

Michael whinned in response giving him watery eyes and Teddy sighed in defeat. He waited for his dad to leave before leaning down and picking the baby up gently, making sure to cradle his head with one hand and lightly rocked Michael in his arms.

 

Teddy hummed a lullaby his mother used to sing to him when he was little and smiled softly when Michael's eyes started to flutter close. He continued to gently rock and cradle his little brother close until Michael's breathing softened and his eyes closed into la la land. 

 

His brother looked so much like his mother, Teddy was grateful. He didn't know how'd he feel if the baby was an exact replica of Tate. Sure, there were bits and pieces of Tate here and there but Michael was all Vivien. 

 

Except one thing. 

 

Michael didn't have either of his mother or father's eye color. They weren't a green shade like Vivien's or even the pitch black of Tate's. No. They were a beautiful shade of blue. Teddy was reminded of his father's eye color but shook it off when he saw Tate's nose and cheeks in Michael. Besides, his dad's eyes were a grey blue and not the baby blue of Michael's eyes.

 

Leaning down and gently placing Michael into the bassinet - making sure to put his pacifier in his mouth and covering him with a blanket - Teddy left the room quietly when he was sure Michael was passed out and not going to wake.

 

* * *

 

 

Teddy sat next to his sister as they both hovered in the room, making sure not to appear before their father, as their mother talked him down from pulling the trigger of the gun in his hand. His father didn't want to be left alone without his wife or children and left to raise the baby that wasn't his and had killed his wife. 

 

Teddy understood, he did. It still hurt though. To watch his father's miserable face and depressed state as he wondered around the house in a daze, begging for his wife and children. To see them and say goodbye one last time.

 

His father's voice spoke up in tears and startled him out of his day dream. 

 

"What about Violet and Teddy?" Ben asked Vivien tearfully. 

 

"What about us?" Violet spoke up, showing herself to their dad and Teddy followed suit, "We're both teenagers. Not exactly a cake walk."

 

Ben turned towards them with shock written across his face and squatted down in front of them, "Violet. What kind of father have I been?" Ben turned towards Teddy with shame on his face and Teddy looked at him guilty. "Teddy. You weren't eating. You weren't going to school. You were already gone, and I didn't get it." 

 

"I shut you out." Teddy told him with a frown, shaking his head at the self blame in his father's eyes, "I was afraid it would break you."

 

"I miss you so much." Ben choked out looking at them both with sad eyes, "I miss you both so much."

 

"I was never getting into Harvard." Teddy said in a self deprecating manner as Violet snorted next to him.

 

"Neither was I."

 

"Oh." Ben laughed wetly.

 

"We saved you a shitload of money." Violet said, her brown eyes gleaming with tears that didn't fall. 

 

"Yeah, you did." Ben smiled at them. 

 

"You have to leave, Dad." Teddy spoke up, giving his father a serious look, "Every minute you're in this house you're in danger, and so is Michael. It's not safe here for him ot you."

 

Vivien grabbed their father's hand and helped him stand up. She begged in a whisper, "Please. Do it for us."

 

* * *

 

 

Teddy heard a commotion coming from the entrance hall and made his way there with furrowed brows. He spotted his father standing behind Constance as they both looked up and the ceiling. Teddy followed their eyesight and gasped when he saw his father's corpse dangling from a long piece of rope. 

 

No. His father was not supposed to be dead right now. His father was supposed to be on an airplane with Michael, not hanging from the goddamn ceiling! Teddy didn't even have to think hard when he realized the only person dumb enough - and cruel enough - to do something like this.

 

Fucking Hayden.

 

"You stupid son of a bitch." Constance repeated as she looked at Ben's dead and hanging body coldly, smoking a cigarette, "You stupid son of a bitch."

 

"I can't believe she killed me." Ben said in disbelief, looking up at his dead body. 

 

"Ha. Serves you right." Constance hissed at him and walked away. 

 

His mom came down the stairs with an amused smile and opened her arms for a hug from his dad - who gladly stepped into her arms. Teddy watched them fondly, his heart hurting as he thought about Tate. But this wasn't about Tate, it was about his father. 

 

"Dad?" Teddy walked over to his father and hugged him with a sad frown, Violet appearing behind him and joining the family hug with a sigh. They hugged one another tightly as they reunited with each other, all four of the Harmons now dead and spirits of the house.

 

"Well, that's all very touching." Constance spoke up in irritation. They all looked up and saw her on the top of stairs with a scowl, "But where the hell's the baby?"

 

Teddy shared an alarmed look with his mother and shot a worried look at Constance, "I might know who has Michael."

 

Constance sighed before drifting down the stairs elegantly and disappearing down the basement after Teddy told her about Hayden and the basement.

 

* * *

 

 

**A couple of Months Later...**

 

Teddy moved about his old bedroom with a bemused look as he went through the new family's son - Gabriel or Gabe as his parents called him - CD's and rolled his eyes with a sigh when he found nothing good. 

 

Not even a single CD of the best hits from the 70s or 80s or even the 90s. No Lana Del Rey or Queen either, which what the hell dude? They were icons, who didn't listen to at least one of them. 

 

This kid apparently. 

 

"Huh?" The new boy's voice spoke up behind him. Teddy straighten up and turned around to see Gabe giving him a cautious and alarmed look, "Who are you?"

 

"You have shit taste in music." Teddy answered instead of replying to his question and holding up the CD in his hand with an eye roll, "Butthole Surfers? What even is that?"

 

"Hello?" Gabe drawled out, "Breaking and entering. Who are you?"

 

Teddy put the CD down on the table and turned toward Gabe with a smirk and said dramatically, "A ghost of my former self." The other boy gave him a busmened look and Teddy grinned at him in return, holding out his hand. "Teddy. I live in the neighborhood."

 

"Your hand's cold." Gabe said after shaking his hand and Teddy went back through his search for some good music. 

 

"You know what they say." Teddy said half halfheartedly, picking up a shoe box full of CD's and walking to his old bed, "Cold hands, warm heart." 

 

"Yo!" Gabe cried out when he dumped the CD's on the bed. Teddy snorted at the other boy's use of 'yo' and almost giggled. Who said 'yo' anymore? Frat boys or the weed smoking skaters?

 

Teddy ignored the part that about the smoking weed as he remembered he used to smoke the shit too. He moved the CD's around and gave them a once over to see of any of the names looked familiar to him.

 

"Don't you have any Queen? Or like, Lana Del Rey? Something that doesn't sound like total shit?" Teddy questioned and smirked to himself as he saw the boy glare at him in defense. 

 

"Hey." Gabe spoke up and trying to be stern and serious. He failed. Teddy had seen more scary stuff from the basement then from some skinny pothead. "Get out of my room."

 

"You sure you want to be alone?" Teddy asked in a seductive voice and getting the boy's attention instantly. He smirked at the look in Gabe's brown eyes and continued in a low voice, "They say this house is haunted."

 

Hook, line, and sinker.

 

"You're kind of twisted, aren't you?" Gabe smirked back at him and stepped closer to him, the cautious look replaced by curiosity. 

 

"You don't know the half of it." Teddy muttered and smiled at Gabe when the boy's eye brows scrunched together in confusion. "You have to at least have some Bowie. If not, I'm calling it quits."

 

"Calling what quits?" Gabe asked amusement, taking the seat next to him.

 

"Our friendship." Teddy said nonchalantly and continued to rifled through the CD's. He picked one up that looked vaguely familiar.

 

"Since when are we friends?" Gabe questioned, raising an eyebrow at him.

 

"Since a moment ago." Teddy shrugged and handed the CD to Gabe, "This one looks a little good."

 

Gabe took it with a sarcastic smile and said, "Gee. Thanks. Nice to know you approve of my music collection."

 

"You're very welcome." Teddy said back sarcastically. "I'm free for lessons from Tuesday to Friday if you want free tutoring."

 

The other boy shook his head and chuckled as he put the CD in the radio and closed the lid, pressing play. Music started to play softly and Teddy grinned as he recognized the lyrics. The smile dropped when he saw a figure glowering at them in rage from the opened door and he glared back. 

 

"You okay?" Gabe asked in concern, looking behind him curiously and seeing nothing. "What's wrong?"

 

"Nothing." Teddy smiled at him in reassurance and Gabe melted, a grin growing on his face. "I thought I saw something. It's nothing."

 

Was this what Tate felt when he manipulated Teddy that first day in this very room? This slight power and dominance over the other boy, at a joke the boy would never understand? If so, Teddy didn't want it. He didn't want lies or any manipulation ever again, he wanted a friend who wouldn't lie to him or trick him through deceit. 

 

Teddy turned toward Gabe when the boy started to ask him questions and answered them to the best of his ability, lying occasionally as to not give away his current occupation. 

 

He glanced back out the door and blinked when he Tate standing there again with a pleading look on face as he stared at him - and the boy sitting across from him - with dark eyes and a frown. 


	40. Afterbirth (part two)

Teddy sighed as he walked up the steps to his old bedroom - which was now Gabe's - with reluctant steps. His parents had asked him to scare Gabe into leaving while they scared the boy's parents. Teddy had tried to ask Violet to do it for him but his sister had just given him a look that had Teddy quieting down.

 

The second Teddy opened the door, he froze at the sight in front of him. Tate stood, his back to Teddy and the door, holding a knife to Gabe's throat as the boy trembled in fear. Teddy's mouth dropped open in shock but he quickly snapped out of it when the other boy whimpered as the knife pressed into his skin.

 

"Tate, no." Teddy spoke, eyeing the knife nervously and wearily, "Put down the knife, Tate."

 

"I can't." Tate told him with a shaky voice as his hands trembled with the knife, "I'm doing this for you. I couldn't save you." Teddy bit his lip and took a few steps into the room with caution. Tate started to cry and sniffle and Teddy rolled his eyes mentally,  "It's my fault you're alone."

 

"But I'm not alone." Teddy said gently, "My family's here now." 

 

It was true. Teddy wasn't alone anymore. His family was with him and he'd never be lonely again. He had his mom and his dad and Violet with him. And Michael was just next door, living with Constance and Teddy saw the boy at least everyday. Meeting the toddler over the fence as Constance eyed the house behind them wearily, and playing with him for as long as Constance would let him play with Michael.

 

"It's not enough." Tate told him, his voice getting more desperate and sad as he spoke, "You need someone."

 

"Not him." Teddy shook his head even though Tate couldn't see it and said softly, "I don't want him."

 

"Then what do you want?" Tate shouted at him and Teddy took a step forward as the knife slid closer to Gabe's adams apple. 

 

"What I wanted was you." Teddy told him with a frown as he eyed the knife warily before glancing at Tate with glistening green orbs, "All I ever wanted was you. I've wanted you since I met you."

 

Tate froze at his words and let go of Gabe slowly as he turned towards Teddy with a shaky inhale and a tear stained face. Teddy swallowed at seeing the miserable and heartbroken look in the dark eyes that he loved. He still loved Tate and probably still would, even fifty years from now.

 

"You told me to go away." Tate said softly. 

 

"Yeah." Teddy murmured lowly, taking a step forward and towards Tate. "But I never said good-bye." Teddy held his arms out with a small smile and told him softly, "Come let me say good-bye."

 

Teddy watched as a silent battle raged within Tate before the blonde quickly let go of Gabe, dropping the knife on the floor, and walked towards him hurriedly. Teddy let Tate kiss him and leaned into the kiss, pulling Tate close and making sure the blonde wouldn't see him directing Gabe out of the room with his eyes. 

 

Even when the boy left the room and was gone, Teddy still didn't pull away from Tate and his kisses. It felt so good to be held by him again, to feel Tate's lips press against his softly, holding Teddy like he was a fragile art piece. Tate's eyes were closed tightly and he kissed Teddy in desperate movements, clutching onto his cardigan, and leaning further into him.

 

Teddy let the kiss continue for a while longer before pulling away to whisper against Tate's lips with a tear sliding down his cheek and it joined Tate's own tears, "Good-bye, Tate."

 

With that Teddy disappeared and away from Tate.

 

* * *

 

**A Couple of Weeks Later...**

 

Teddy grinned up at Violet in her silk and satin red dress as he handed her a Christmas ornament enjoying the peaceful bliss of spending time with his family - now including Moira and Chad, who Teddy had invited to join them earlier - and his newest little sister, Scarlett. 

 

His mother had found her not-so-dead baby down in the basement with a worn out and tired Nora Montgomery who had handed the baby over after a talk. Vivien had taken Violet's suggestion and named the baby girl Scarlett.

 

Teddy was happy to have another baby sister but was worried when he found out Scarlett would be stuck as a newborn for the rest of her life. It was sad and disheartening but Teddy did what he did best. 

 

He moved on and accepted the baby with open arms and a smile.

 

"Wow." Teddy said when Moira handed him a dusty bow full to the brim with Christmas decorations, "These ornaments are ancient."

 

"I suppose they are." Moira agreed and continued with a small frown, "You'll come to understand, Teddy that the word 'ancient' will lose all its meaning when your entire existence is one long today."

 

Violet snorted at his scolding and grabbed an ornament from the top randomly, putting it on the tree with a smirk. 

 

"Okay." Teddy muttered, giving her a jerky nod and looking over at Chad, who was drinking the eggnog. Teddy had a feeling it wasn't normal eggnog either. It was more then likely spiked with the alcohol Constance had given him a few days prior as an early Christmas present.

 

It kind of felt like he had own sugar momma with the way Constnace was always bringing over little gifts and treats for him. She still let him see Michael but only through the fence and not on the property of the house. Teddy got it. The poor kid could easily get snatched up by one of the ghosts.

 

"Okay." Ben spoke up from next to the plug in, "Everybody ready?"

 

Teddy grinned as he looked at the lights on the tree turn on and sighed happily. It was so beautiful, he wanted to take a picture of this moment and have it last forever. 

 

"Look at that. I chopped it down myself, I'm proud to say." Ben continued to say as he stepped back and admired his work with a grin, "Have you ever seen anything so beautiful?"

 

"I have." Vivien told him with a lovely voice and walked over to him in her silky green dress, "Look at her. She's so amazing." Ben wrapped an arm around her shoulder that she willingly leaned on as they looked down at Scarlett with adoring smiles, "Best temperament. Hardly ever cries. Looks like her daddy." The two shared a loving look and kissed. 

 

Teddy made a face at Violet and she giggled at him, pushing him away from the latter and grabbing at the box of ornaments. Chad finally put down his eggnog and joined in on the decorating, eyeing the Christmas tree with a satisfied nod and smiling at Teddy who grinned back.

 

"I didn't think it was possible for me, Vivien." Ben told Vivien with a happy gleam in his blue eyes, "But I'm happy."

 

Everyone smiled at the couple with wide grins before looking away and going back to their tasks excitedly. They were so abosred in one another they didn't notice the two figures in the shadows watching them - one staring longingly at Teddy and the other glowering at the couple in front of her.

 

Teddy glanced over his shoulder and his smile fell at the sight of Tate watching him with Hayden next to him and glaring at the sight before her in anger. He glanced away and tugged at the silky blue shirt he was wearing - at the behest of Chad - and went back to handing Violet the ornaments with a smaller smile then before.

 

Violet gave him a concerned look and he shook his head slightly, nodding over to the due behind the glass doors. She followed his gaze and glared at them, eyeing them in disbelief as they stared back at her with dark eyes and frowns.

 

Teddy gave Tate one last look before turning back around and smiling at his new family happily. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is officially over (until Apocalypse at least) and It's been a long (and short) ride but I'm glad it's over finally and we can move on to the next installment. I still don't know when my laptops being sent back but hopefully I'll still have a couple of days to publish the next story and the first few chapters of it.
> 
> Thank you to everyone who read this story and for giving a heart, commenting and bookmarking Dollhouse! Love you al ❤️


End file.
